Minority page 14

Eight months later…

"I keep expecting to see them." Katherine said as she looked out the window at the abandoned gas station. Peaches glanced out too and noticed with some mirth that they were at a seven eleven. But she didn't even have to ask whom Katherine was talking about. "Scrambling around out there." She continued. The only thing she saw was Rick trying to pry open the diesel ground pump with Glenn. "I never thought I'd miss them so much – I barely knew them."

"Charles…hurts the most because he made it so far with us." Peaches admitted. "I keep expecting to hear his voice – see him running around with that bag of his. Skinny little weirdo…he loved Funions." Peaches looked down at the bag of chips in her hand. She choked down one with a grimace and sighed. "God how I still hate them."

"Suppose I can't complain. I still got you." Katherine said and offered Peaches a small smile. "And Kevin."

"My ears are burning." Kevin said as he climbed into the back of the truck. It was no secret that he had taken a shine to Katherine. Her self-imposed abstinence wasn't quite broken yet. She had been considering it when Charles died two weeks ago. They had been foraging and a walker pounced on him – nearly ripped his whole throat out and got a good chunk of his arm before anyone could get a shot off. In the end Peaches had told everyone to leave her alone with him. Katherine said a quick goodbye before she fled the building with the others. The longer she drew it out the longer he would've lain there choking on his own blood. Minutes later Peaches came out, blood streaking her hands and the knife she was clutching. Without a word she grabbed a shovel and started digging in the nearest patch of grass. They buried Charles fifty miles ago, under a tree next to an old corner store.

"Rick…I can't even imagine what's keeping him going at this point." Katherine said. Lori had died nearly three months ago. The baby had been born without a hitch and for about thirty-six hours things were fine. They named her and everything but as it often did – tragedy struck. The baby's cries brought a herd down on them and their hiding place in a long abandoned office park. In her frantic dash to save her baby Lori ran right into a group and was devoured. Rick fought through them. Truly manic as he tried to save his new child but he just didn't have enough bullets. And his axe finally took out the last walker but too little too late. He sat in the bloody mess that was his wife and baby for hours – not sobbing just staring entranced. Everyone's guess had been that he was waiting for them to turn but given the grizzly scene - there wasn't enough of them left to reanimate. Daryl had gotten everyone packed up and ready to go. He literally had to smoke Rick out of the building. Lori and her baby were cremated as they hit the road for another hide out. Rick was a shell of the man he used to be. Carl had only gotten stronger through the ordeal. But Rick – he was just living out of habit now.

"Any way he can I guess." Peaches said as she looked in the rearview mirror. Katherine knew she was looking at Daryl, Merle and Lucy as they scouted the area. She unconsciously touched where she used to wear his dog tags. "We all do."

"If it's any consolation, you're way hotter than that worn out, white skank." Kevin said. Peaches looked at him and smiled.

"Thanks, Kev." Peaches said – half way meaning it. She had always had a feeling that if Merle had more options he'd retreat back to his old habits. He had no way of getting cocaine but ever since Bruce, Lily, Lucy and Jo came into the group he had been withdrawing from her. About a month ago they had ended their marriage after a very nasty argument about 'who needed whom'. It seemed stupid given the gravity of what was happening to the world around them but neither one was going to apologize any time soon for the hurtful things they said to each other. She gave back the dog tags and walked away from him. She was glad he had yet to give them to Lucy but that might have to do with him sharing her with Bruce. Or maybe he was screwing Lily and sharing her with Jo. At least that's what Peaches assumed what was going on – she honestly didn't want to know. Lucy was a whore plain and simple. She kissed all over Bruce and hung on to Merle like a tumor. And Daryl…he just ignored them all – he and Glenn were still together and he spent half his time with Merle and half his time with Peaches. Like he was the child caught in their divorce. He admitted to Peaches that he still considered her family and that Glenn thought so too. Glenn was more comfortable around other minorities anyway. "He gets the car I get the kids." She mumbled and snorted.

"Are we fucked?" Katherine asked. "I mean I know we've always been fucked – there's no way out of this walker shit." She focused on something out the front windshield before she stuck her head out the side window and whistled at Rick. Glenn rounded the truck with his hunting knife and advanced on the walker that was stumbling towards them. He took it out with a few swings and went back to helping Rick. "But… it really feels like shit is just falling apart – like we should just give up on ever being whole."

"Life is the same." Peaches answered. "You wake up, you do what you have to. Sometimes a loved one dies. Things change. The only thing different is the situations. Still dog eat dog. Same shit, different day."

"You're cheery today." Kevin said sarcastically. They all laughed.

"Katherine I know you miss Charles. And it's shitty the way he died. It was shitty how we lost the motel. And Lori. But try to look at what we've gained…" Katherine smiled at her. Peaches hadn't actually gained anything except that maybe if she had a plan Glenn and Daryl would back her up and help convince Rick it was good thing to do. "And like you said – we still got each other."

"Well that concludes this session of the 'coon club'." They all glared at Merle when he sat down on the back tailgate with Lucy and Bruce. They laughed at his joke. "How about you get your collectively worthless asses out there and keep watch for a while."

"And to think, you kept Mischa from shooting him…more than once." Katherine said sarcastically.

"I would've had to give her ten bucks when she made the shot." Peaches said before she climbed out the driver side door. She stretched before she pulled her machete from her belt. "Think of what you've gained…" she reminded herself as she walked away from the food truck to see what Beth and Maggie were doing at the other cars.


"Damn, how much stuff you got in there, Peach?" Daryl asked as he watched her pull a seemingly endless supply of things from the messenger bag she always had on her. She had been channeling Charles since his death – taking up his role as the group medic. His old doctors bag had been buried with him but she still had all his gauze, pill bottles and notebooks. Apparently he had been meeting with everyone and had something like medical records on them. Before he died he had put Beth on a suicide watch, reminded himself to take a look at Merle's sore tooth and stock up on sun block and vitamin b12 for Carl – apparently the boys paleness was a concern.

"Hang on. I have the band aids in here somewhere." She said as she dumped the bag out on the floor in front of them. Daryl picked up something that caught his eye.

"You still carry a wallet?" He asked as he started going through it. "Why?"

"That's—"

"Kirk Garner…" Daryl said and immediately shut the leather fold when he realized the can of worms he had just opened. "Sorry." He handed it back to her.

"It's okay." She assured him.

"I didn't know you were married." Glenn said when he over heard their awkward conversation. Peaches gave him a look and he smiled nervously. "I meant before."

"Yeah." Peaches said as she opened the wallet again and looked at the old driver license behind the cracked plastic. "For about three years before all this happened. He was my best friend growing up. He…sacrificed himself to save me. He didn't deserve that."

"I'm sorry." Glenn said. He presented his bag and riffled through it before pulling out a cellphone, a wallet and what looked like an unpaid parking ticket. "I understand it's a little hard to let go." Daryl took the cellphone and looked at it like he had never seen one before. Given his life before the zombie apocalypse he probably hadn't seen one as nice as Glenn's first generation iphone. "When we had electricity at the motel I charged it and turned it on – I guess I half expected some new messages or something." Peaches just smiled at him before she started reading the ticket.

"For doing fifty in a thirty-five. And failing to stop at a red light. Damn, you would've lost your license for at least six months." Peaches said. "Wow, this whole word is your last name?" She pointed it out to Glenn. He just opened his wallet and showed his old license to her and Daryl.

"How do you pronounce that?" Daryl asked making a face.

"It's—

"Break up the sewing circle, ladies." Jo said as he walked up to them. "Go make yourselves useful and wash some clothes or something." They just stared at him for a second.

"I never had a wallet." Daryl said – seemingly ignoring Jo.

"Ever?" Glenn asked.

"Nope. Never had any money beyond a few twenties. License expired a year before all this. Cops in my town knew I could drive there weren't no point getting it renewed."

"I couldn't tell you where my wallet is. I had to leave my house in a hurry. My car was stolen to top things off." Peaches said.

"Apparently they took your brain too." Jo said louder than he was talking before.

"Piss off man." Daryl snapped.

"You gonna make me, faggot." Daryl was on him before he could even react. Punching him in the face twice before he felt someone pulling him off.

"Get a damn grip on yourself." Merle said as he broke up the fight.

"Screw you." Daryl growled as he pulled free of Merle's grip. He snatched up his cross bow and stormed out of the old house they had taken shelter in. Peaches rolled her eyes when Merle stared her down. Undoubtedly blaming her for Daryl attacking one of 'their people'. She assured Glenn she'd bring him back before she ran after Daryl.

"Daryl… Daryl wait up." She called quietly. He was stalking towards the tree line when he suddenly whirled on her.

"I'm not weak! I ain't no faggot!" He screamed. He started pacing, flinging his arms around and cursing at the weeds that stuck to his boots.

"No one thinks you're weak." Peaches said. "But you are a faggot."

"The fuck did you just say—"

"Daryl you regularly have sex with another man. You love another man – you are gay. Technically you are a faggot." Peaches said calmly. "But that doesn't make you weak. Not admitting it to yourself makes you weak. Jo knows that saying shit like that makes you upset and it gives him power over you."

"Damn it Peach – I don't need you shrinking my head."

"You're so self centered – I didn't come out here to analyze you." She said before she plopped down in the over grown grass. He looked at her for a second before he looked at the house. "Your little tantrum is just a sidebar." Daryl stood there in silence before he sat down next to her. Understanding immediately why she didn't want to be in the little, three room house. Merle's presence took up all of downstairs.

"How long you wanna stay out here?"

"I promised Glenn I'd bring you back soon." She answered. "But you being stubborn kept us walking in circles for half an hour."

"Sounds good." He agreed.


"You can't go off half cocked like that." Glenn said as he walked to the nearest corner store with Daryl. "What if a walker got you while you were huffing and puffing? And you put Peaches in danger too. She ran after you because she cares about you."

"I said I was sorry." Daryl muttered.

"Just cause you don't care—" Glenn was cut off mid sentence when Daryl grabbed his hand. He gave it squeeze and just held it as they walked. There was no one around to raise eyebrows at their affection so Glenn just enjoyed it while he could. He'd rather share this with Daryl than fuss at him the whole way. And he did apologize.

The country road was peaceful and all but Glenn let himself imagine they were walking in a park somewhere – populated by people—Living people. Other couples enjoying the warm day and no one giving them side-glances over what an odd couple they made. Daryl only let go of him once they made it to the store they had been pilfering for the past week. There were dead walkers outside – just a few that they had taken care of on the first day. They both stepped over the bodies like it was nothing and went about getting some canned foods for dinner. Glenn was carefully checking the cans for any sign of botulism when a noise near the back made them freeze in place. Glenn quietly put down his bag of cans and took up his knife. Daryl crept back – expecting a raccoon. He spotted the woman and almost jumped back when she leapt up. Way too quick for a walker. She brandished what looked like a samurai sword.

"Drop it!" He barked. She didn't say anything but she didn't let go of the sword either.

"Whoa, whoa! We're not walkers!" Another man made the scene and Daryl almost gave him an arrow through the brain. He didn't even notice Glenn behind him – knife raised and ready to take his head off.

"Tyrese!" They all jumped when a girl came screaming from the back room. A walker tripping over itself to get to her. The woman with the sword took it's head clean off. They stood in silence afterwards.


Surprisingly Andrea knew the woman with the sword. Her name was Michone and apparently the fact that she had found them again was a total fluke. She explained how she got to the motel, found it burned to the ground and headed off in a random direction. She met up with Tyrese and his sister Sasha. The little farm house was even more crowded with the new comers. They eyed Merle and Bruce warily. They just stood back and watched as Peaches and Katherine tried to get them situated. Peaches was on her way to the kitchen when Merle grabbed her arm.

"I need to talk to you." He growled. She snatched out of his grip – the movement so deliberate that it caught everyone's attention. The room filled with tension as he stared her down. Refusing to say please in front of everyone.

"Later." She said before she went on her way.

"Your bitch is out of control." Bruce said loudly. Peaches was back in the room in a flash – kicking him in his nuts as hard as she could. When he doubled over she kneed him in the nose and pushed him over.

"I am so sick of your shit Bruce!" She screamed. The new comers were frozen in place as she grabbed a nearby plant stand and broke it over his back. "Stupid racist shit stain – keep your fucking mouth shut!" Lucy started towards her but Daryl stopped her. She clawed at his face and he pushed her back – so hard she fell over on top of Lily. Merle just watched as Peaches took her anger out of Bruce. When she was done kicking his sides she grabbed him by his hair. "Disrespect me again and I will kill you." She hissed in his face. Rick finally came downstairs and put an end to it by calling her name. She jumped a little when Carol gently grabbed her arm.

"Your hands are bleeding. Come on." Carol urged her back into the kitchen. Peaches went with her quietly. Once she was gone and things settled a little Michone leaned over to Andrea.

"That happen a lot?"


Author's note: I added a gag about Glenn's last name never being said in the series. And yes – I also glazed over Woodbury/The Governor but I'll explain what happened during those eight months soon.