Chapter 2

"If the world ended tomorrow would you miss me? I know we said 'til death do us part, but if the world ended tomorrow and I died, would you miss me?"

"We did say 'til death do us part…guess I would kinda miss ya. I'd still have Merle but if I ever thought about getting laid probably have to pay for it, also have to go back to eating shitty half-cooked meals. Would you miss me?"

"Yeah, I would."

It was her idea to come up to my granddaddy's cabin for the week; when she came home from work last Friday she announced that she took off this whole week and got her dad's okay for me to take off as well. Her running the office meant that she approved my time off (you can imagine the look of surprise I had when she said I'm not going in at all the next week). It was our last night up here and she wanted to camp out under the stars again. Unfortunately for me I told her to bring a bottle of whiskey and she hasn't shut her damn mouth yet. Then again, whiskey makes her clothes fall off after five or six shots. After a brief silence I felt her breathing slow as she started falling asleep but I wasn't ready for her to go to sleep yet.

"World ended tomorrow ain't gonna let nothing happen to ya, you're a Dixon now and Dixons stick together. You know enough to get ya by that even if something happened and we got split up we'd always find each other. If by the time I found ya, you turned into some ugly skank I'd have the decency to put ya out of your misery."

"Would you turn into a lil bitch while you did it?" She teased, smiling against me as her hand roamed over my chest.

"Dunno, no one ever gave two shits about me before you came along. If I did it'd only be when no one else is around."

We continued our game of 21 questions until she finally let loose a yawn, dreading the reality that this was our last night here for a while. Truthfully, I'm thankful that she talked me into coming up here since we both needed a getaway but I wish I could've taken her someplace nicer and more exciting. She knew when she said 'yes' that I'd never be able to afford to give her the life she deserved; maybe one day things'll change and we could have it all.

I awake after a few hours to the sound of the zipper to our tent carefully being pried open; the hairs on the back of neck instantly stood up and the first thought that entered my mind was Shane trying to lure one of those biters into our tent while we're sleeping so he could be hailed the hero after he killed us.

"You wanna put that thing down? You're gonna put someone's eye with it."

"Who the hell are you? The fuck do ya want?" I kept my bow trained on the intruder despite their request.

"It's Andrea, just coming to get the laundry unless you enjoy wearing those filthy, bloody clothes all day, every day."

I couldn't stop my eye from twitching the longer Blondie kept talking (must've been one of the ones Merle was talking about yesterday). Still not fully trusting the pair of tits in front of me, I kept my bow aimed at her head and reached under my cot with one hand to pull my duffel out from underneath. Tossing it at the entryway I waited until she had it in her hand and her back was turned before attempting to relax.

"Ya know, we really do appreciate those squirrels you brought last night but you have no right to hit a child that's not yours. Lori's already throwing a fit that if you ever do that again she'll wring your neck." She said, turning back and setting my bag down.

"The bitch ever teaches her brat to keep his hands off other people's shit he won't be getting in trouble. Takes a village to raise a kid lady, no one tells me what I can and cannot do." Swinging my legs over the edge of the cot I laid the bow across the bed and set about finding my gear for another hunt.

"Carl's at that age where he's curious about everything. Can I ask what motivated you to slap him last night?"

"Difference between a slap and getting ya ass popped. Hell when I was his age I knew better than to touch something that wasn't mine."

"So what'd he do? What'd he touch that's so damn important that it earned him being 'popped' as you put it?"

"Ain't none of your goddamn business what he did, you really wanna know you can ask the kid yourself. 'Sides, don't ya got laundry to do?"

"Don't have to be so gruff." She muttered before I finally heard her picking the duffel up off the ground and leaving the tent.

Picking up my bow, I slung it over my shoulder then double-checked that my knife was secure in its sheath; leaving the confines of the tent I found Merle running his mouth with a few of the others, showing them how to skin the squirrels. Naturally Shane was over there, no doubt keeping an eye on Merle to make sure he didn't do anything that would warrant us getting kicked out. I found a nearby stump and made myself as comfortable as possible and pulled my knife out along with the sharpening stone (if anything needed to be done out there I have to make sure this thing stays sharp).

"Lady if I were you I wouldn't be waltzing over there with an attitude, especially since HE'S GOTTA KNIFE IN HIS HAND!" Merle's voice called out in warning.

Jesus H. Christ, why don't these people just leave me the fuck alone?!

"You the one who put your hands on my son last night?"

"Hey! It ain't my job to keep an eye on the lil bastard, sure as shit ain't my job to be laying down the law on him neither! Do your fucking job and keep a goddamn leash on that kid! I ever catch him snooping around our shit again I'll-" I was just about to deliver a promise when Merle cut in with Shane hot on his heels to break up the confrontation.

"I warned ya little lady not go near him, now you done woke the beast. C'mon baby brother, let's just walk away, ya know let cooler heads prevail and all that shit. Go on now, off to the woods with ya before I gotta take ya out there myself."

"Lori, I told ya last night that I handled it and Carl promised not to go near their stuff anymore. If he gets bitten by the curiosity bug he knows to come find me and I'll explain it to him. He also knows now that he needs to stay away from these two, they're just too volatile right now. Wouldn't be a bad idea to ask Carol and Morales to keep their kids at a distance also, just until everyone gets used to each other."

"That piece of trash put his hands on my son, Shane-"

"I know and I warned him not to do it again, and he won't, will ya Dixon?"

In a fit of rage, I jumped up from the stump and landed a punch right into Merle's jaw (it was all I could do to keep from lunging at the dumb bitch or hitting Deputy Douchebag). For the sake of appearances Merle laughed it off but I knew I'd be in for it whenever I decided to come back. Shoving my knife back into its sheath and the sharpening stone back into my front pocket, I took off into the woods listening to the voices die off the further I got.

Stalking through the tall brush as fast as I could I left the camp until I found myself back in the place where we were at yesterday. Pausing for a moment I waited until I was certain that no one was following me before releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding. Checking to make sure my bow was still strapped to my back and my knife was still on my hip, I proceeded through the trees in search of something to kill (whether it be beast or biter). It didn't take long before I came across a set of fox tracks and took off in the direction they were heading.

After following the tracks for what seemed like hours, I found a small alcove where the creature may have been calling home. Seeking shelter behind a large rock I waited to see if anything would come out or cross along the path. Luckily I didn't have to wait long before something came out of the hole; it wasn't the fox I was hoping for but I'd take a coyote over nothing. Bringing my crossbow around, I let the strap fall from my shoulder; raising it to eye level I waited until my shot was lined up and squeezed the trigger, releasing the arrow straight into the animal's chest. It fell where it stood and thrashed around for a minute or two before it stilled.

Coming around from the rock I walked up to the animal, nudging it with my foot to make sure it was dead; when it was confirmed I yanked the arrow from its side and reloaded. Fishing some spare rope from one of my pockets, I strung the animal up and went on my way in search of something else. Under normal circumstances I would've field dressed the damn thing but in my haste I left my backpack in the tent back at camp.

It was going on nightfall when I decided it was best to head back with my catch: a coyote, six squirrels, and four rabbits. The closer I got to the camp the louder it got, no doubt Merle was shooting his mouth off trying to make friends but it was noisier than what I was used to. One thing I miss about Claire was that she enjoyed the quiet as much as I did. The only reason why she stayed at her shitty ass job was because people, generally, left her alone (her phone never rang and she didn't have to deal with too many people). When she'd get home the only sounds that broke the silence were coming from the t.v. or her cats if they were in one of their moods.

"Well, well, well, look at what the cat dragged in! What'd ya bring back for us O' Mighty Hunter?" Merle cackled as I came crunching my way out of the woods.

I said nothing as I tossed the carcasses towards the fire and headed back into our tent. Inside I found my duffel empty and the clothes I had in there folded, laying neatly on the cot. Picking the stack up I shoved everything back into the bag and dropped it on the floor. Taking a rag out from my back pocket I flopped down onto the cot and proceeded to clean off as much of the blood from my arrows as the remaining light would allow. Outside it was a laughing fest; more people were praising the Dixon name for a fresh meat supply, some of the kids were even exclaiming 'ew' (must've seen Thumper on a string and his guts hanging out).

The day's events left me nothing but tired and once the blood was (mostly) cleaned off my arrows I picked my sore feet off the ground and laid down on the cot to try and get some sleep in. A fresh arrow was already nocked, ready to go when I shut my eyes, my mind drifting off wondering where she could be, if she was hurt, or worse, dead. I was just starting to finally fall into an uneasy sleep when a voice called out.

"Knock, knock…"

Fucking shoot me, just fucking shoot me!

Cracking an eye open I waited for whoever was on the other side to make themselves known or leave. I swear these people are just asking to be killed off…kids touching shit that ain't theirs, people coming and going any time they want thinking they have a right to enter someone's personal space.

"I brought you some dinner, not much but it's more than what we've had in days. My little girl, Sophia, she wanted me to tell you 'thank you' and she wanted me to give this to you," a woman (I think it was a woman) with a butch haircut came in with a plate, laying it down on the floor of the tent then produced a crude drawing her kid made and laid it down next to the plate. "One of our people went into the city to find supplies, he should be back tomorrow; your brother volunteered to go with a larger group when he gets back to try and scavenge for more."

"Now I got something to wipe my ass with," I huffed out, "get lost, don't want ya here anyhow. Tell the rest of those pussies if Merle's going on scavenger hunt to make sure the rest of the group that goes with him are white otherwise they'll have to deal with his racist ass all day."

The woman left looking fearful and defeated; when I was sure that she was a safe distance away and Merle was still keeping himself busy, I got up from my cot and picked up the plate as well as the drawing. From the looks of it someone overcooked the rabbit so it was gonna be tough to chew. The drawing on the other hand was nothing more than a smiling stick figure with a simple bow and arrow standing next to a fire. The stick arm was holding some kind of head that had x's for eyes. Folding the paper up, I shoved it to the bottom of my duffel bag and began to work on the plate of meat.

Must've been hungrier than I thought because I polished the plate off in record time; dumping it outside the tent I caught sight of everyone gradually leaving the campfire to turn in for the night. The old man from yesterday was returning to his perch on top of the RV, the women and kids were taking off in the opposite direction towards the tents, Walsh was in (another) heated exchange with Merle and I knew he was gonna be in a foul mood by the time he made his way back to our tent.

Disappearing back into the tent I laid down on my cot and got comfortable; again my bow was laying across my stomach just in case I needed to use it sometime during the night. I was just starting to doze off when Merle came bursting through the flap angry as a hornet.

"The hell were you thinking hitting me in the jaw this morning? You lookin' for a reason to get us kicked out?"

"Fuck off and go to sleep, ain't in the mood to listen to your bullshit tonight."

"Now you listen to me you lil shit!" I forgot how quickly Merle could move when he was angry, before I could think to react he had his hand wrapped around my throat and a fire in his eye that I recognized all too well. "You even think about doing some shit like that again I will not hesitate to put you in your place, ya hear me?! In the morning you're gonna apologize to that kid and his mama then you're gonna disappear for a while and cool off. I'm going into the city in a couple of days on a run and see how these dumbasses operate without Deputy Douchebag giving orders. Think you can manage on your own until I get back?"

I managed to choke out a 'yes' before I found myself able to breathe again. A rush of air filled my lungs as I sat up on the cot, coughing loud and hard. Despite my chest feeling like it was on fire I stormed out of the tent with my bow strapped to my back for a smoke (not sure which'll kill me first, smokes or the dead).

"Hey son-"

"Fuck off old man, ya ain't the boss of me!"

Stomping off into the woods I trekked off deep into the darkness until the only sounds around me were the crickets and cicadas. As I made a quick scan of my surroundings I found a tree that was more than large enough to hide me in case one of those biters came along; sliding against the trunk I made myself as comfortable as possible. Letting my head fall back against the bark I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I tried to remember what Claire would tell me after me and Merle would have a blow up like that. Unfortunately I couldn't recall anything she said.

After a few minutes I fished my near empty pack from my shirt pocket and the lighter from my pants pocket. Shaking the pack I pulled out a cigarette only to discover it was my last one (here's to hoping Merle'll find some when he goes out). With a sigh I crumpled up the empty pack and tossed it to the ground; using my hand to hide the flame of the lighter I lit my last cigarette and took a deep inhale of the nicotine laced paper. I only held onto the smoke for a brief moment before letting it escape into the night.

"Ms. Dixon, because the deed of trust is solely in your name, I am awarding you full ownership of the house and its contents with the exception of Mr. Dixon's belongings that he brought with him prior to the marriage. I will submit an order to the sheriff's office and Mr. Dixon, you have five days to remove your belongings from the home. I am also ordering that the rings b-"

We stood on opposite sides of the courtroom while the judge was finalizing the details of our divorce. I didn't have much in the house and I was grateful the judge was letting me clear what was left of my stuff even though I had told him last time it wasn't necessary but I knew the rings would be a sore subject. The crazy bitch didn't even let him finish before she ripped the jewelry from hand and tossed them at me; I couldn't stop myself from flinching as one hit my shoulder and the other fell near my shoe.

"And I hope you rot in hell asshole!"

"One more outburst Ms. Dixon and I'll have held in contempt, do you understand me?"

She huffed out what sounded like a 'yes' but all I could think about was getting shit-faced drunk when this was finally over and done with. Ever since Merle saw her getting into that guy's truck and go to the motel just on the edge of town all I could think about was getting far away from that cheating whore and moving on with my life. Hell, her daddy already fired me when he found out there was trouble in paradise.

"Now that the matter of the rings is cleared up is there anything else either of you would like to say before I have each of you sign the divorce decree?"

"Nope." I said flatly, approaching the bench to sign off on the order.

Once my name was signed to the document, I was dismissed from the room and made my way out, checking my pockets to ensure my keys were in the left and my cigarettes were in the right. As I passed by her I could feel the hurt and disappointment that radiated off of her but she was no longer my problem.

"Queen of Diamonds."

Her words stopped me in my tracks, my hands poised on the doors ready to push them out when the words fell from her lips. I knew they were words from an Eagle's song; she told me what it meant once before but at the moment the meaning was lost on me.

"Queen of Diamonds…that royal bitch whooped my ass then mopped the floor with it like ya said she would. Queen of Hearts is always the best bet. Maybe if I'd have listened to you a lil more…always did want what I couldn't have."

Sighing, I snubbed the remainder of the cigarette out hoping to make it last until we found a gas station or something. Once more I let my head fall back against the bark of the tree, my eyes drifting shut as a thought flickered to life: I had everything – a roof over my head, food on my plate, money in the bank, someone who didn't beat on me, someone who (dare I say) I may have loved – I threw it all away out of anger and fooled myself into thinking I could get something better.

The Queen of Diamonds sure knows how to deal a low blow.