Present day
When they got back from hunting, Dixie hurried home to grab a basket. Her dad woke her when it was still dark outside and they headed into the woods when the first streaks of light from the sunrise were painting the sky. Dixie still needed to collect the eggs from the chickens and the ducks. She was grateful when her brother offered to help her.
"Don't reach in there," Dixie hollered at him, "...there's a broody silkie in that one." Dixie tried to warn him in time but MJ was already yelping, yanking his pecked hand back out of the nesting box and letting the lid flap shut.
"Maybe her eggs hatched?," MJ suggested, lifting the lid he just slammed shut and peeking inside. Dixie set her egg basket down and hurried over. She spoke to the hen in a soft quiet voice as she reached inside and gently lifted her feathers to get a peek underneath. Her brother was right. Under the soft downy feathers of the small hen, five tiny newly hatched chicks were hiding. MJ snaked his hand in and grabbed one, lifting the tiny frightened bird up to his face so he could cuddle and kiss it. Dixie giggled and grabbed a chick of her own, holding it in her hand and running her fingers softly over its fuzzy baby feathers.
Always eager to move from his present activity, MJ placed his chick back under its mother. Then he took the one in Dixie's hand and did the same. Dixie smiled at him. There was a small feather stuck in the copper hair of his goatee and she reached up to pluck it out.
"Let's hurry up and get the duck eggs," he told her, "I don't wanna miss Carl's party." Dixie nodded her agreement and grabbed her half full basket of eggs from the grass. Then they hurried along the small path toward the duck enclosure.
By the time Dixie got to the bar, people were already gathered inside talking and laughing. The formal announcement was going to be during the festival, but Hershel already told everyone the results of the very first public election the night before on the radio. His older brother Carl was the new leader of Alexandria. The winner of their very first public election.
Close friends and family were coming in for a celebration breakfast at RickyJo's bar. The bar was the place where almost everything in the town was celebrated. Dixie's mother told her often that was why she pushed so hard to get the place built and opened. RickyJo never formally took a leadership position in the town, but her opinion always carried weight. And she said running the bar helped her keep her finger on the heartbeat of the town. She was always the first to know anything that was going on, and Dixie knew Deanna considered her a close and trusted advisor. Since the bar first opened up years ago, it had been expanded several times and now also served as a boarding house for people visiting from other communities, and people that wanted to settle in Alexandria but hadn't found a permanent place to live yet.
The smell in the kitchen made Dixie's mouth start watering before she even hit the door. Her Aunt Jessica and her mother had two giant cast iron skillets out on the stove and they were frying up corned venison hash with peppers and shallots from the garden. Once it was crispy and a little brown around the edges, they portioned it out onto big serving platters and used the skillets to fry up the eggs that Dixie collected. They did the eggs over easy, so when you cut in, the yolk soaked into the fried potatoes. It was Carl's favorite meal and since this was his celebration, the women made it special for him. Dixie grabbed the big colander from the sink that was full of freshly rinsed strawberries and started hulling them, tossing the tops into the bin that would be taken out to the compost later and putting the juicy red berries into a bowl. She tossed one into her mouth, trying not to let the juice on her fingers stain her lips.
Dixie's cousin Jenny came hurrying into the kitchen. She was carrying a large bucket of milk, followed by one of the boarders that was staying at the bar. The people that stayed at the boarding house could trade in exchange for staying there, but most earned their keep by working in the gardens and helping to take care of the animals. The man was also carrying a large bucket of fresh milk, which he was looking like he might spill since he was so busy staring at Jenny's ample backside. When he saw Dixie, the man had a smile for her as well. She quickly ignored him and turned back to her berries. Jenny, on the other hand, was giggling away with the man. She was lucky her dad didn't see her. Dixie knew her Uncle Morgan thought his daughter was far too young to date and if he ever found out even half of the things she already did, it was going to turn his hair even whiter than it already was. RickyJo shooed the man from the boarding house out of the kitchen and into the main bar room, trying to hide a grin.
MJ came into the kitchen. He was the only boy that didn't seem to feel like his manhood was being put into question just by stepping inside. He also still hugged and kissed his mother and didn't care who saw him. Dixie knew it was because if anyone wanted to talk any shit to him, he would find them later and pound them good.
"You want to get the iced tea out?," her mother asked her brother. MJ nodded. They brewed tea in huge two or three gallon glass jars, so getting them out of the fridge and pouring them into more manageable sized pitchers for serving without dropping them or spilling the tea everywhere wasn't exactly a girly job. He had actually come in to see if his mother needed help with this specific task.
"You want me to take some cider out too?," he asked. There were so many apple trees in Alexandria, apple cider was a main staple in most people's diets. They drank it fresh, lightly fermented, hard and even sparkling. They also traded the apples with Hilltop, where there were peach, apricot and orange trees. Today the stuff in the fridge looked like the lightly alcoholic stuff, but MJ made sure to get himself a good swig to be sure. Quality Control. His father and his uncle Daryl brewed it, and sometimes he helped him. Helping meant sampling, and sampling was fun. They also made wine, moonshine and about a million different kinds of beer.
"And take your father that bottle of dark beer I put in the fridge for him," his mother told him. MJ smiled when he saw there were two bottles, which meant the other one was for him. Since it wasn't something most people enjoyed, they didn't brew dark stout often, but he just loved the bitter earthy taste of it. He knew his dad liked it too and usually referred to the lighter beers and cider as 'piss water'. MJ noticed that didn't keep the man from drinking the stuff, and sometimes too much of it. This was sometimes funny, and other times ended badly, with his mother and his Uncle Daryl fighting with his dad.
Dixie finished with the berries and helped her brother to carry out the drinks. Along with the tea and cider, they also had plain water and even a few bottles of ginger beer, which was her favorite. As she set the pitcher of tea up on the bar top, she heard Hershel's voice coming in over the radio. This is Hershel Grimes, broadcasting to you from the top of the bell tower, playing your favorite old world music... Then some music started coming in through the speakers. People in Alexandria loved the radio station. It was tradition for most people to turn on their radios when they were heading home from runs or trading missions. When they heard the music start crackling in, they knew they were almost home.
Jenny came in with the strawberries, setting them on the top of the bar. And then RickyJo and Jessica came out with the big platters of hash and set them down. Carl let go of Sammie's waist and headed over behind the bar, giving each woman a warm hug and thanking them. He knew this meal took a lot of preparation, especially the corned venison, which took two weeks just to brine.
"What were you going to do with all this if I didn't win?," Carl asked them playfully. RickyJo gave him a big grin.
"Feed it to Spencer instead," RickyJo told him. This made them all laugh and Carl swatted at the woman playfully. He still thought she was the most attractive woman in town, except for his wife of course. And the long streaks of white hair that had grown in around her face over the years were actually very lovely and dramatic against her tan skin. He never questioned why Daryl and Merle liked her so much. To Carl the reasons were plain enough. He knew Deanna thought of RickyJo as one of the people she trusted most, and he hoped she planned to stay on in that position and advise him. In fact, he was thinking of setting up a more formal council, like the one Hershel was the head of back at the prison all those years ago. Carl couldn't be everywhere at once and the town was only getting larger every year. But that could wait until after his party. Carl gestured to the small group of newcomers that he parked in a corner booth when he arrived at the bar
"Didn't assign them jobs yet," he told RickyJo, "...thought maybe you could use the help here until we figure out if they are staying or going on to Hilltop." RickyJo nodded. Alexandria would take in outsiders. But they didn't have as much space as Hilltop did. Most of the houses in town were already full to the brim. They didn't have space to build more unless they expanded the walls again. And that was a giant pain in the ass. It was easier to send the stragglers back to Hilltop than to find a place for them in town.
"You cleared them already?," RickyJo asked, raising her eyebrows. That was quick. Carl smiled.
"How many walkers? How many people? And why?," Carl told her, enjoying her wistful expression. Those were Hershel's questions. The original Hershel. Not Rick's son. Beth's dad. It was the way they screened people back at the prison before they allowed them into the group.
"I like yer style," RickyJo teased, "...and don't worry I got 'em." She ticked her head towards the people her family brought in from the woods earlier. "And I'll even deal with the ones in the infirmary for ya, if you ask me real nice." Carl grinned. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her one more squeeze before he headed back around to the front of the bar and took up a spot next to his dad.
Dixie was helping her mother, trying to make sure everyone had a full glass so they could make a toast. She was surprised to see Spencer come in, but she offered him a drink. He accepted it gratefully and took a large gulp before crossing the room to where Carl and Rick were standing. Spencer's mother had been grooming him for years to take over for her and run the town after she passed away. He knew people wanted to have a vote, but he had thought it was just a formality. When he lost by a landslide to Carl, who was much younger and less experienced than him, Spencer was shocked and upset.
"I just wanted to say congratulations," Spencer told the man, sticking his hand out. Carl took it and shook it with real feeling. He knew it had to be hard for Spencer to come here.
"I want to set up a council to help me with the running of the town," Carl told him, "I was hoping you would be willing to be a part of it." The offer touched Spencer, and from his expression, Carl knew he had done the right thing. Like RickyJo, Spencer had been helping Deanna run the town for years, and when she got sick there towards the end, he was pretty much been doing it for her. Carl wanted him as a partner, not an adversary. Dixie watched the two men. Spencer was married to one of her cousins, so he was family. She was sad for him when he lost the election to Carl, even though she thought Carl would make the better leader.
Rick tapped his ring against his glass, getting everyone's attention. He had his arm around Beth, who was sipping a glass of iced tea. She would have rather had a real drink, but she was pregnant. Again. Dixie darted over to stand by her Daddy Merle, leaning close so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. Merle was watching Rick. The long winded fucker had better make this one quick, because he was starving.
"I'll make this quick," Rick said, and then laughed when he heard a few dramatic sighs of relief. "I just wanted to say congratulations to my son Carl, the new leader of Alexandria." People started cheering and clapping.
"As my first act as leader I say it's time to eat!," Carl hollered out. This brought on some more clapping and laughter.
"See I knew I voted for him for a fucking reason," Merle told his daughter, making her smile. Dixie was the spitting image of her mother when she had been that age, especially when she smiled. And like her mother, she seemed to take no notice at all on the effect she had on the men around her. Even now, Rick's oldest boy Hershel, the one that ran the radio station, was hovering in the doorway staring at Dixie. And she didn't even blink in his direction.
MJ came over with a plate that he had elbowed in and filled up with as much food as it would hold, then started shoveling it in like it was his last meal. Dixie laughed at him. If he made love the way he ate she felt sorry for any girlfriend he ever got. She was about to inform him of his bad manners when there was a loud crash by the door. Maggie had come in, dragging her giant moose of a daughter with her. And the girl had tripped over who knows what, likely her own feet, and fallen into a chair knocking it over.
"Glenna Rhee," Merle said, elbowing MJ in the ribs.
"The Rhee stands for Rhee-tard," MJ quipped.
Dixie rolled her eyes while the two of them laughed like hyenas. She heard them make that joke so many times, and she still had no idea why they thought it was funny in the first place. It wasn't Glenna's fault that she was clumsy and awkward. Dixie knew who the real retards were, and she was thinking about telling them off. She knew it would just make them think the joke was even funnier, so she walked away from her father and brother instead.
Dixie ducked through the crowd, heading over to make sure Glenna was okay. When she got there, she saw that Hershel was already checking on her. He looked at Dixie funny and then his face started getting all red like he was the one that fell into the chair instead of Glenna.
"Don't worry Glenna," Dixie said, "my dad and my brother are both getting drunk so I'm sure I'll be way more embarrassed than you real soon." This made Glenna smile and Hershel walked with her over to get something to eat and say hooray to his brother Carl. Dixie followed them, getting a plate of food for herself. Then she spotted her mother and Daddy Daryl sitting in a booth, eating together. They were sitting next to each other, so she slid in on the opposite side. Her mother saw she had food but nothing to drink and handed her the rest of her ginger beer. Dixie didn't hesitate to take it and sipped it slowly to savor the spicy taste. They grew ginger in the garden and one of her favorite things in the world to smell was the fresh roots when they pulled them out of the dirt and peeled them.
Her Daddy Daryl had his hand on her mother's leg under the table. From the time she was little, Dixie loved watching the two of them together. Her Aunt Jess told Dixie that Daryl was the first man her mother ever slept with. Dixie asked her mother about it later, but wasn't able to get much out of her. You don't want to hear about all that mess, honey. She didn't think her mother liked talking about her life in the old world. Maybe it dragged up too many painful memories for her. Or maybe she thought Dixie was too young at the time to hear about it.
"You girls making cheese today?," Daryl asked them. RickyJo nodded. Once the party cleared out, she had some things she needed to get done. She needed to figure out where she was going to put the newcomers. Bread needed to be baked and they also needed to start getting things ready for the festival. Last year, so many people came that they had to set up tents for them to sleep in. And this year they were expecting even more.
"Why, you want to help?," RickyJo teased him, taking a piece of her hair and tickling his face with it.
"Nah but I might keep you comp'ny while I do up the dandelion wine," he answered, swatting at her hair and tickling her ribs under the table. Then he pulled her close and kissed her neck. The sound of the sirens going off caught everyone's attention. People stiffened up and a few rose from their seats. When the noise was only followed by one blow of the horn, people started cheering. One horn blow meant family coming home.