Newly Revised
"We won't all fit. Maggie, you and Beth should stay here. Abraham, you, Sasha and Rosita will come with us. Daryl, you should come too," Rick commented as Jesus took them to the largest vehicle the Hilltop had to offer, which was little more than a minivan. "You should stay here," he said to Ani, wanting to give her a chance to deal with whatever it was she was going through.
"Hell naw," Daryl said, not wanting to either leave her alone nor give her a chance to pull away from him with how she was behaving.
"Ya really want me ta stay here when I already want ta kill that guy?" Ani asked him, one eyebrow raised as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"It's gonna be a tight fit," he tried to reason.
"So I'll sit on Daryl's lap like I have in the past. It's eitha that or I deal with Gregory my way," she said with a shrug.
"I think it might be best if you just steered clear of Gregory," Rick said, really trying to get her to stay at the Hilltop due to how she was acting.
"Gregory's a dick who needed put in 'is place."
"You broke his nose."
"Should be happy I ain' doin' more'n that," Ani said haughtily.
"Alright. But we lose this chance, this thing goes south because of whatever you're dealin' with right now, it's on you. Whatever happens, it's on you," he warned her.
"I got my shite tagetha, Rick. At least compared ta ya. Or did ya forget ya waved a gun in Sasha's face the first time ya met 'er 'cause ya saw ya dead wife?" she asked viciously, not wanting to put up with his shit anymore than Gregory's. "I'm not dealin' with bein' questioned jus' 'cause I ain' puttin' up with the bullshite and playin' nice anymore."
"No one is questioning you," Rick tried to comfort her as Daryl climbed into the vehicle, even though the dig about Lori put a strain in his voice. "You're just...you're different."
"I'm who I got ta be," Ani spat, climbing up and getting comfortable on Daryl's lap.
"You sure you're good, baby girl?" Daryl whispered in her ear.
Instead of answering him, Ani simply tucked herself sideways in his lap, Sophia sitting in between the two not at all bothered by her putting her feet under her leg. She nestled her head on Daryl's shoulder so that her nose and forehead were pressed against his neck as Daryl wrapped both of his arms around her and her arms came up around his. He had to remind himself that she'd asked him to wait until the night even if he wasn't happy that she wasn't just telling him whatever it was that had her acting so off, but at least she wasn't shying away from him. She was right back to how she was in the beginning as far as being touched by others, but she was clinging to Daryl like it was no tomorrow. He couldn't help but be thankful that she was still doing at least that much as he tightened his hold on his girl and buried his nose in her hair. They stayed like that almost the entire time, both just thankful that the other was alive and safe right there with each other.
The ride to where they were going, a suburban area just outside of Washington DC with fences and gates apparently, was mostly silent. Both Ani and Daryl ended up dozing as the car jostled its way down the road, most of the others staying quiet so that they could. They only woke when the vehicle slowed down and came to a halt, Ani's sharp intake of breath and sudden movement startling Daryl awake as they both became defensive and looked around. Rick, Abraham and Jesus got out while Daryl opened his door to let Ani get out if she wanted to, but she stayed on his lap until Carl moved to take Abraham's spot, allowing Sophia to move over some as well, and only then moved to sit next to Daryl. While there had been ten people and the twins in the van, it hadn't been anywhere near as bad as the time when they'd had eighteen people in the same sized vehicle, especially considering Sophia and Carl had been able to sit side by side in the seat. Ani couldn't help the small, soft smile she had on her face as she leaned onto Daryl's shoulder feeling touched that he remembered how she'd been after that trip.
"It's called 'the Kingdom'?" Rick asked Jesus as they stood waiting.
"Yeah," he answered before deadpanning, "I didn't name it."
Ani couldn't help but snort a laugh at that and call out, "If ya did, it'd be called Heaven instead!"
Jesus chuckled in reply, saying, "Good one."
"How much farther?" Rick asked, looking around at the surrounding area.
"Well, technically we're already here," Jesus answered him. "I mean, we're always here, but here we are. At the Kingdom. Well, its outer edge."
"Hey, what the hell we waitin' on?" Daryl said as he stood up and hung out the door.
"Waiting for them," Jesus said as he pointed in the other direction.
Two men on horseback were heading in their direction, one brandishing a spear and asking in old stage-style English, "Who dares to trespass on the sovereign land of the—oh shit! Jesus, is that you?"
"Who are all these people, Paul?" the other man asked as Ani followed Daryl out of the van.
"Hi, Richard. It's nice to see you," Jesus answered.
"It's good to see you too," the man, Richard, replied. "Your friends, who are they?"
"This is Rick Grimes. He's the leader of a like-minded community. These are some of his people. We would like to request an audience with King Ezekiel," Jesus answered.
"Heard 'e likes cats," Ani said unhelpfully, earning a smirk from most of those around her.
Richard got off his horse and walked closer to the vehicle while Ani froze just a little and moved to a defensive position as he approached, not wanting to take any chances. She simply wasn't willing to risk anyone else being taken by another group like she and Daryl had been. She still wasn't sure on what she was going to say to Daryl, how she was going to word it, or whether or not she wanted to ask him what all they'd done to him. She'd known that he had been beaten when the worst she'd gotten was the damn bat scraping across her face when they'd failed escaping the first time. She doubted he'd been given any kind of food or drink while they'd been separated with how he'd scarfed down the apples and jerky and finished off an entire bottle of water after their almost-fight. Ani knew that her treatment wasn't anywhere near as bad as his, but the way he was only making it about her was scaring her. He was worrying over her rather than talking about what had happened to him and that was making her nervous her as well. All she knew was that they were still each other's and they were with their family and nothing and no one was going to take that away from them ever again.
"Get out of the car," Richard told the people still in the vehicle, only Rick, Jesus, Abraham, Michonne, Daryl, and Ani standing outside. "You say they're a...like-minded community. Like-minded how?"
"We live, we trade, we fight the dead," Jesus told him. "Sometimes others."
Richard nodded his head before looking at them and saying, "Line up."
Daryl immediately froze, bringing Ani back to his side and telling Rick, "Okay. This is a waste of time. Come on. Let's go."
The last time he'd been told to stay in a line, their baby had been called a mistake, and then Ani had gotten taken under threat of being given to her parents. He'd been taken under threat of death at the hands of said parents for committing atrocious acts with Ani and the baby. Everything they'd gone through, the beatings for him, the dog food, the stale and moldy bread, working with the walkers, all of it, had all started with being forced into a line by Negan. Daryl wasn't having it this time; whoever this king was, he wasn't worth the risk that was being presented to them. Anyone who would make them line up anymore was a threat in his mind and that definitely didn't change with Richard walking towards them with his gun out. They were already in a position of lesser defense with only having two guns, a handful of knives as Ani didn't have all of hers, and nothing but a van to hide behind. He pushed Ani in front of him and towards the van wanting to get her into it first in case the guy decided to open fire. It was the only thing he could do at the moment to protect her and the baby since he didn't have the means to get her out if there was a fight. The last thing he wanted was for her to have to fight so soon after what she had been forced to do at the Sanctuary.
"Maybe you're right," Richard said, stopping Daryl in his tracks. "The King is a busy man. And it's a dangerous world. We don't usually allow for a pack of strangers to waltz through our door," he reasoned.
"We want to make the world less dangerous," Michonne rebuttaled. "We're all here to show...the King...how serious we are about that."
"The car stays outside," Richard told them. "And you gotta hand over your guns."
"We only have two," Rick said, seemingly agreeing to the terms even as Ani shook her head no.
Both he and Carl handed their guns to Richard as Ani turned towards Daryl, obvious derision on her face. Daryl wasn't the only one that didn't trust the situation and now that they had fewer weapons than they had to begin with, and no long range weapons. They were at a major disadvantage to begin with as they didn't know how many people were in the community and if they hurt either of these two, it might start another fight. They really didn't need any more enemies, but Ani couldn't help the fear and anxiety that started creeping up on her as she reached out and grabbed Daryl's arm. She couldn't help the sense of walking into yet another trap whether or not that was truly what it was. All they had to go on was Jesus's word and while Jesus wasn't a bad person, his pacifistic attitude was contrary to being completely honest. One good case in point that Ani could think of was the Saviors and Negan and how Alexandria had only gone up against a single outpost; there was no way that Jesus hadn't known with how he'd spoken to Gregory afterwards. She could forgive him for that, but if he was leading them into another trap like Gregory had led them with the Saviors the first time, it wouldn't just be Gregory's throat she went for.
"Okay. Follow me," Richard said, holstering his gun and leading them down the road.
Ani stayed between Daryl and Sophia the entire walk up to the Kingdom even though she hadn't moved close enough to Daryl for him to tuck her into his side like he was used to in Alexandria. She did, however, have his hand in hers, fingers entwined as she tightly held it while Sophia had taken her other hand in hers, happy to have the pair back even if Ani was a bit different. After spending the last year and a half with the woman, Sophia knew she could have extremes when pushed to her limits. She'd seen it when she'd rescued her all those months ago in the woods and knew Ani would come out of whatever she was dealing with now and be just fine. The others just needed to give her some space and time and they'd see it, too; Ani would talk to all of them when she was ready. When they finally entered the area the community of the Kingdom resided, not just the outer edge, Ani was actually quite impressed. She could tell who was a warrior and who worked the gardens just by looking around the courtyard while it seemed that not a single person was going without. Their fighters wore some sort of armor that looked similar to football gear to Ani, who was happy to see an entire unit of men and women running in what looked to be a training exercise. A couple younger people were in a gazebo practicing Aikido while others milled around in the gardens that took up the sides of almost every walkway. There were several buildings that were obviously used as houses and Ani got the idea that it was probably what had once been either a community college or some sort of boarding school. Either way, these people had their shit down pat and knew what they were doing if it were to come down to a fight.
"They've got the numbers," Michonne said as they looked on.
"But can they fight?" Rosita asked.
"Oh, they can fight," Jesus told her.
"Maybe," Daryl said as he stood with Ani in front of him nodding her head in agreement.
"Morgan?" Tara's voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention over to the man Ani hadn't even known was missing.
"Hey," he said, giving Tara a hug before giving one to Sasha as well.
"How do you know each other?" Richard asked as he watched the group reunite with the man that had become a valuable part of the Kingdom over the last week.
"We go back to the start," Rick told him.
"Well, the King is ready to see you," he informed them.
Daryl walked slowly ahead, Ani following along behind with Sophia as Rick walked up to Morgan and asked, "Did you find Carol?"
"Cars is missin'?" Ani asked, looking to both Daryl and Sophia for answers.
"You were out," was all Daryl said, Ani understanding him perfectly.
"I found her, yeah," Morgan informed them all.
"Well, where is she?" Ani asked at the same time Sophia asked, "Is she okay?"
"She was here and then she left," Morgan told them.
"Left?" Daryl asked.
"Yeah, you know, she wasn't too happy, me followin' her," Morgan told Rick. "She wanted to get away from us, from everyone. But when I found her, she was shot."
"Shot?!" Daryl and Sophia said at the same time.
"It was just a graze," Morgan assured them, both Daryl and Sophia taking a breath of relief, Ani nodding her head at the news. "I got her back here. They got doctors. They're good."
"Was it them?" Daryl asked.
"It was. She had crossed with some of them, and one of them followed her, tried to killer her, but I stopped him," he told them before turning to Rick. "I killed him. I had to. Carol was here. She got help. Now she's gone."
"Gone?" Sophia asked.
"She left."
Rick tapped the man on his shoulder while nodding his head before moving past him, Ani looking at Sophia and squeezing her hand as she took in the girl's sad face. No matter how angry she got towards Carol, at the end of the day, Sophia was still her daughter and nothing and no one but Sophia could change that. Ani herself couldn't even be entirely angry at the woman for leaving again; she'd seen how Carol had been having problems coming to terms with herself after all the killing she'd done. She was angry that Carol had decided to run away after helping create the mess they were in, even if it was only by being taken hostage like she had. But at the same time, she understood that Carol had been a rather meek little mouse for the longest time and up until the prison had never gotten used to killing. That was why it had come out of the blue to her and Daryl both that she had killed Karen and David and had been willing to kill Ani. If it weren't for the fact that they needed her to help solve the situation they'd found themselves in, Ani would be fine with her disappearing act. Instead, it felt almost like they had all been abandoned and betrayed in their time of need, probably because they had been. Carol didn't want to deal with what was going on and was much happier running away than trying to talk to Ani like Rick had, like Sasha, like Abraham and even Rosita. She might have understood the woman better if she had never been taken to the Sanctuary and seen all the people there not dealing with their trauma. As Ani was pulled under Daryl's arm as they headed towards the others, she decided that if that was what Carol wanted to do, if she wanted to wallow in self-pity over becoming strong enough to stay alive, let her.
When they entered the building, Bobby and Catty ran off, prompting Ani to push through the group that was standing frozen at the entrance to what looked to be an auditorium or theater. She yelled at them to get back to her, but they just ran into the seats, making her bob between seats to try to find them. She didn't have a chance to look towards the front of the auditorium like the others, though both Jesus and the people on the stage were watching her antics as she finally crouched down and disappeared, managing to catch Catty by the scruff and bring her around with her. Catty wasn't too happy with her as she bit into her forearm for a moment when she finally got her pressed to her chest. For a second, Ani had to remind herself that these were wild creatures and almost didn't retaliate, only to bop the kitten on the top of the head with a decent swing. She'd seen cats bat at each other and play fight and hoped it would work to get the thing to let go and was thankful when it did. Bobby, however, wasn't so nice when Ani pounced fast enough to grab her leg, but not fast enough to get her scruff. The little she-devil turned around and swiped at her hand even as she yowled at her, forcing her to let go with a hiss before bounding off after her again.
"Jesus!" a deep voice rang out as Ani fought to grab the brat from under one of the seats. "It pleases me to see you!"
"It pleases him indeed!" a jovial man said.
"Jerry," the first voice said. "Tell me, what news do you bring good King Ezekiel?" Ani was happy she was bent over so that he couldn't see her trying to control her laughter as the 'King' asked, "Are these new allies you've brought me?"
"Indeed they are, Your Majesty," Jesus said, looking back at the group as Ani finally managed to lay her weight on Bobby and wrangle her into her arms before she stood up and went back over to Daryl, handing him the creature before turning around. "This is-"
"Holy shite a tiga!"
Ani could not help the look of awe that transformed into pure joy at the sight of the magnificent creature lying next to the man on the throne. She had always loved cats and the tiger was her favorite by far, not only for their beauty, but for their behavior, too. They were apex predators and the largest of the cat species on top of being solitary for the better part of their lives. Before she'd left home, she'd always wished she was a tiger just so that she could have a reason for her scars; they'd be tiger stripes instead. It wasn't like she didn't love the bobcats, because she did, and it wasn't like she wasn't in awe by their own behavior. Their own ferociousness and territorial aspects regardless of their small stature really did remind her of her when it came down to it. She was tiny and she knew it, but she could fight back better than anyone she'd ever known and she really was territorial about her family when it boiled down to it. But tigers were the top of all cat species in magnificence and majesty and truly earned the name of King and Queen of the forest.
"Ya were right 'bout 'im bein' a cat person, Jesus! I mean, I don' care what they say 'bout lions, tigas are the kings a the cats in me opinion and holy shite! I thought I was lucky gettin' the twins, but ya got a fuckin' tiga! How'd that happen?"
"Ani," Rick said, interrupting her tirade even though he was smirking; he had to agree that it was rather a shocking sight.
"What? It's a fuckin' tiga, Rick! Can' ya be a bit more excited?!"
"I see you've brought a friend with a colorful vocabulary. Pray tell, what is the purpose of this visit aside from offering mild entertainment?" Ezekiel asked, amused by her antics and the fact that she had one bobcat held in her arms while a second stretched itself across her shoulders.
"This is Rick Grimes, the leader of Alexandria," Jesus informed the King. "These are some of his people, including Ani, the, uh, one with the colorful vocabulary."
"I welcome you all to the Kingdom, good travelers," Ezekiel said. "Now, what brings you to our fair land? Why do you seek an audience with the King?"
Ani wasn't sure what to make of the King as he turned his eyes to Jesus in accusation, almost as if he was afraid of anyone knowing about the deal. She couldn't quite get a read on the man in general and that fact alone confirmed to her that he was acting, at least to a certain degree. He spoke almost as if he was sitting on the stage performing a play, and in all honesty, it almost felt as if they had walked in on one. Richard was standing on his right while a large man with a battle ax and a younger man with a stick like Morgan's stood on his left. He literally was sitting in a throne on a platform on the stage with the tiger laying next to him and a countenance that screamed royalty. It had to be some sort of act, but it confused Ani because she didn't understand the purpose of putting up with such a pompous act when the world had ended. If he had the capability to lead his people, to instill trust and loyalty and mentorship in his people, why did he need to act? It was quite obvious he had the education to keep his people not only educated themselves, but, like her, he was training his people to be almost military in structure. From what she had seen, there was a training regiment for the able bodied, a school for the children, a training ground that everyone was expected to use to learn the bow and spear. She could not understand why the man was acting when it was obvious that he did not need to for his people to follow him.
"Why do ya talk like-"
"Ani, it can wait," Rick cut her off, not entirely sure what she was about to go on about and not wanting to risk anything upsetting the King, even as Ani gave him a dirty look before sulking and sitting in one of the theater seats. "Ezekiel—King Ezekiel," he corrected as Daryl came to stand next to Ani, wanting a closer look at the tiger himself. "Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom—all three of our communities have something in common. We all serve the Saviors," he told the man. "Alexandria already fought them once, and we won. We thought we took out the threat, but we didn't know then what we know now. We only beat one outpost. We've been told you had a deal with them, that you know them. Then you know they rule through violence and fear."
"Your Majesty, I only told them of the-" Jesus tried to defend himself under Ezekiel's gaze, only to be cut off.
"Our deal with the Saviors is not known among my people—for good cause," Ezekiel accused. "We made you a party to that secret when you told us of the Hilltop's own travails, but we did not expect you to share-"
"We can help each other-"
"Don't. Interrupt. The King," Jerry said, making Ani laugh.
"Sorry, but ya got ta admit, this whole 'king' shite...It's the most amusin' thing I've seen and heard in a long time," she said, trying to get her laughter under control.
"You'll have to forgive, Ani," Rick told Ezekiel as he looked at the woman in contemplation. "She's a bit...a bit different at the moment, thanks to the Saviors."
"I see," Ezekiel said before turning his attention back to Jesus, ignoring the still snickering Ani. "We brought you into our confidence. Why did you break it?"
"Because I wanted you to hear Rick's plans," Jesus told him.
"And what plans have you, Rick Grimes of Alexandria?" Ezekiel asked Rick.
"We came to ask the Kingdom, to ask you, to join us in fighting the Saviors. In fighting for freedom for all of us," Rick said plainly.
"What you are asking is very serious."
"Several of our people—good people—were killed by the Saviors brutally," Michonne spoke up, trying to make the man understand where they were coming from.
"Who?" Morgan asked.
"Glenn. Spencer. Olivia," Rosita told him. "Eugene was taken. They took Daryl and Ani. They escaped. Every second they're out here, they're a target, and now Ani's crazier than ever."
"I ain' crazy," Ani spat at her, her contempt for Rosita's attitude growing exponentially. "They forced me ta beat the man I always knew as my dad ta death. Made me bash 'is face in slow for entertainment! Let's see if ya can do that and come out the same, bitch."
"You gonna say you were right?" Rosita asked Morgan, completely ignoring Ani.
"No," the man said, looking down. "No, I'm...I'm just real sorry they're gone."
"Negan murdered Glenn, beat him to death," Rick told Ezekiel.
"Terrorized the Hilltop. Set loose walkers just to make a point," Sasha explained.
"I used to think the deal was something we could live with," Jesus admitted. "A lot of us did. But that's changing. So let's change the world, Your Majesty."
"I want to be honest about what we're askin'," Rick said. "My people are strong, but there's not enough of us. We don't have guns—not enough at least. Not a lot of weapons, period."
"We have people," Richard spoke up. "And weapons. If we strike first, together, we can beat them."
"That's the plan," Ani told him with a nod of approval.
"Your Majesty," he said, turning to Ezekiel. "No more waiting for things to get worse beyond what we can handle. We set things right. The time is now."
"Morgan," Ezekiel said after a moment of pause. "What say you?"
"Fuck," Ani said quietly, but in the silence of the room, everyone heard it, so she decided she might as well speak her mind. "He practices Aikido. He ain' gonna be on board with this no matta how hard shite hits the fan."
"It's not about that, Ani," Morgan told her. "People will die. A lot of people, and not just the Saviors. If we can find another way, we have to. Maybe it's just about Negan, just capturing him, holding him. Maybe..."
"Ya don' fuckin' get it, Morgan!" Ani said, standing from her seat as the kittens quickly jumped off of her. "They're all Negan! Every fuckin' Savior! Every fuckin' one a them bastards is Negan for all intents and purposes! It's a damn cult that ain' goin' ta end with jus' takin' one person down! What? Are ya goin' ta hold 'em all?!"
"That is quite enough. The hour grows late," Ezekiel said as he stood, not wishing to continue the discussion as it was getting too heated for his taste. "Rick Grimes of Alexandria, you have given the King much to ponder."
"When I was a kid," Rick said, trying to make the King understand the need to fight, "my mother told me this story. There was a road to a kingdom, and there was a rock in the road. And people would just avoid it, but horses would break their legs on it and die. Wagon wheels would come off. People would lose the goods they were comin' to sell. That's what happened to a little girl. The cask of beer her family brewed fell right off. It broke. The dirt soaked it all up and then it was gone. That was her family's last chance. They were hungry, they didn't have any money. She just...sat there and cried, but...she wondered why it was still there...for it to hurt someone else. So she dug at that rock in the road with her hands until they bled. It took everything she had to pull it out. It took hours. And then...when she was gonna fill it up, she saw somethin' in it. It was a bag of gold."
"Alright," the big man, Jerry, said, completely enthralled by Rick's tale.
"The king put that rock in the road because he knew the person who dug it out, who did somethin'? They deserved a reward. They deserved to have their life changed for the good...forever," Rick finished.
Ezekiel contemplated Rick's words for a moment before saying, "I invite you all to sup with us and stay 'til the morrow."
"We need to get back home," Rick informed him.
"I shall deliver my decree in the morn," Ezekiel said before pounding his cane on the ground as he stood, the action making Ani laugh again.
"I got ta talk ta ya one on one at some point," she told him. "Ya fascinate me on a psychological level."
"How so?" the King asked.
"Well, the way ya speak, the way ya hold yaself. Only place I've eva seen someone act like ya was in my drama club for Shakespeare," Ani said with a shrug of her shoulders. "It'd be interestin' ta see how ya mind works."
"Perhaps we will find time to become more acquainted. I, too, would like to ask you some questions, how you came across your animal companions being one," Ezekiel said before turning and walking away. "But for now, we dine."
Supper consisted of a variety of vegetables and some roasted pork with apple cobbler for dessert, and Ani had to admit that it was pretty tasty. How they dined was a lot different than what they had at home, though, which made her feel quite conscious and partially overwhelmed. Where everyone in Alexandria cooked their own meals in their own homes, here in the Kingdom everyone ate together. They had a cafeteria set up and everyone got the same thing, though there was a difference in how much people got. Kids were given portions of appropriate size while the warriors were given a little extra meat. However, no one was going hungry and no one had a plate that wasn't full and balanced while not a scrap of leftovers was wasted whether by being used in the next meal or as compost. The entire experience had her smiling by the time dinner was done, though she had purposely sat by a wall so that Daryl could sit beside her and Sophia in front so she didn't have to be around anyone she didn't know. She didn't have to deal with others at all, just sat listening to the hustle and bustle of the Kingdom until a kind woman in a hijab walked up and cleared her throat to gain their attention.
"The King asked me to figure out your rooms. There are several available, so you each can have your own if you want," she said. "Or you can buddy up. I understand if that would be more suitable. Do you have families? We have a few options available with two bedrooms, but they are limited."
"Whatever you have available is fine, thank you," Rick said.
"How would you like to separate? Girls and boys?"
"I ain' sleepin' without my man again!" Ani spat before realizing how rude she sounded when the nice lady looked at her in shock. "Sorry, didn' mean...I didn' mean ta be so ungrateful or anythin'. Jus'...jus' went through some shite recently. Kept me away from 'im. I can'...I jus' can'."
"I understand, hunny. Jerry was telling me y'all had been dealt a bad hand," she said with a soft smile and a gentle nod.
"Funny Aloha man?" Ani asked, making the woman smile and chuckle.
"That's the one, sweetie. I'm gonna tell him you called him that, if you don't mind," she told Ani, still smiling. "I think he'll get a kick out of it."
"Go ahead," Ani said before standing up to stretch, stopping abruptly as her stomach turned. "Bathroom."
"Huh?"
"Nope," she quipped before running to the nearest exit.
Daryl had stood up as soon as she bolted and followed after her, only to find her emptying her stomach in what she'd hoped was a compost pile. He meant to rub her back as he walked up, but she jerked away from him and put one hand up, making him stop in his tracks with a confused face. Ani just was not in the mood to be touched when she was puking after not having his comfort that last few days while doing it, especially when she knew she had an audience to begin with. Laura had been sympathetic and brought her water, but she had never once touched her or offered comfort. Expecting Regina to even get her water was like expecting a rattlesnake to protect a mouse rather than eat it. When she was done, she stood back up and dropped her hand signaling to Daryl that he could come closer where he rubbed her back as took a few deep breaths through her nose and slowly blew out through her mouth. The woman from the cafeteria was there with a cup of water, offering it to Ani who nodded her head in thanks and rinsed out her mouth before taking a small sip.
"Are you alright, hunny?"
"I don' know," Ani answered honestly. "Is it normal ta do that durin' pregnancy?"
"Oh!" the woman said with a smile. "Well, if that's the case, I'm sure you're just fine. I can take you to see the doctor if you'd like. Get you checked out?"
"I don'-"
"Yes, ma'am. Thanks," Daryl cut Ania off. "Better to be safe than sorry, right?" he asked her when she gave him a look.
"Yeah, ya right," Ani agreed with a sigh, her hand going to her stomach to see if she could the little flutters there with her palm. "Ya definitely right."
They walked back into the cafeteria and explained where they were going, Sophia deciding to tag along so that she could see for herself they were okay. Daryl had Ani tucked under his arm again, a content sigh escaping her as she leaned against him even while following the woman down a hall. Her name was Nabila and she was a gardener here in the Kingdom, but she dabbled in anything the King needed her to. She was a fairly soft spoken woman, making it easy for Ani to relax to an extent in her presence as they walked to the doctor's office. Once they were there, Nabila helped explain what had happened and made the introductions between the trio and the doctor, ensuring it would be a smooth transition. The doctor performed an ultrasound, Sophia smiling and commenting about the baby's heartbeat as it flooded the room, both Ani and Daryl breathing a sigh of relief at the sound. Before the doctor removed the wand, she asked if they wanted to know the gender, both looking at her in confusion only for her to turn the screen. The little blob that had been starting to form limbs on the screen before was much more humanoid, the doctor moving the wand around to show them various forms of the baby, their head, their heart. She asked again if they wanted to know the sex for the two of them to nod after a second, the picture on the screen moving to clearly show they were having a boy. Both Daryl and Sophia were teary eyed while Ani openly cried at the entire thing; their baby was fine, growing, and they were having a boy. She could finally stop calling him 'it' or 'them' or constantly say 'our baby' or 'the baby;' she could just say 'him' and 'his.' The excitement over being able to plan and come up with names with Daryl was completely drained for her when Daryl took off his shirt. Daryl had several deep bruises on his torso from the beating he'd received, a cut on his lip, and he'd been shot in the shoulder at some point. She didn't have anything other than cut and bruised hands, a few cuts on her face, and some bruises on her arms where she'd been held back during his beatdown. Neither had too much more than superficial wounds, however both were dealing with the fallout the mental and emotional stress of the last few days had put them under.
On the way back to their people, Ani asked Nabila what the Kingdom was built around and learned that it was a community college originally. There had been a community garden for recreation and study while also boasting housing for the less fortunate or out of town students from the neighboring areas. It had been the ideal place when the King had discovered it practically untouched while on a run with some of the others, Jerry included, even though there were some already there. Yet, if it wasn't without Ezekiel bringing together the other, smaller camps in the area to this one place, it would not have been as well kept, nor as well guarded. He had only been Ezekiel then as his monarchy had only started after the Kingdom had truly become a kingdom, but he had still been inspiring due to his connection with Shiva and his ability to lead them all to this safe haven. If it weren't for the King and his court and his guard, the peace they had enjoyed since almost the beginning would have been impossible.
"Being honest, Shiva scares me to death. She's nothing like these little cuties you have," Nabila told them, scratching Catty on her head as they walked down the corridor, the large kitten purring away in Ani's arms. "Are they Maine Coons?"
"Bobcats," Ani said, laughing joyously as the woman looked at her shocked and retracted her hand.
"You're not serious are you?"
"This one's Catty, the one followin' Daryl's Bobby. Found 'em in a tree above their momma. She was bein' eaten, but she died keepin' 'er babies safe. Least I could do was honor 'er sacrifice and keep 'em safe myself. And I wouldn' leave 'em alone if my life depended on it now. Afta all, they helped keep me alive even though they marked up my neck a bit in the beginnin'. They're not pets, they're family."
"You sound like King Ezekiel when he talks of Shiva," Nabila told her with a smile. "Here you are. You're people are in this common room. There's about eight dorms attached to it, so you should all be able to fit comfortably."
Ani and Daryl muttered their thanks before ushering Sophia into the room and entering themselves after a few seconds of hesitation. They were met with a bevy of concerned faces that turned into ones of understanding when Ani simply said it'd been pregnancy that made her get sick. The sad thing was, as soon as she reached her bag, she pulled out some squirrel jerky and started munching on it, making Daryl scoff before pulling her into his lap. Talk in the room was oriented on the war with the Saviors, Daryl, Ani, Sophia, Jesus, and Carl all offering their insights on both the inner and outer workings of the building. In all honesty, Ani had the least to say about it, only able to offer where the doctor's office was, the layout of the market, the showers, and the room she'd been in herself. When they all learned that she'd essentially been kept prisoner in one room with only Negan and a female Savior for company, only seeing the outside when they'd tried to escape and for a few minutes the next day, they understood a little better as to why she was a little off. After all the talk was done, Rick suggested they all get some sleep since there was nothing they could do until Ezekiel made his decision in the morning. Sophia was happy to sleep in a room by herself knowing that the next room over would be Ani and Daryl's. Ezekiel had been kind enough to provide a container for the kittens that had been filled with dirt and placed in the common room, so Ani brought it into the bedroom with help from Daryl, or rather, Daryl grabbed it out of her hands as soon as he saw her lift it.
As soon as they were in the bedroom, though, things became awkward all over again as Daryl sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Ani leaning against the wall expectantly. To her credit, Ani didn't wait or beat around the bush even though she still didn't know what to say. She just grabbed the envelope out of her bag and handed it to Daryl, letting him look through the pictures and then read the note. She remained silent the entire time he read, thinking about what she was going to say and how she was going to explain why she was different more than she already had. To her, she'd summed it up pretty well when she'd told Daryl that she was tired of trying to care about anything that wasn't theirs. The letter was right to a point; she did have a bit of whatever depraved darkness that had lingered in her parents' hearts. She'd only kept count because she'd felt a need not to be like those people, and now she honestly felt like it didn't matter anymore. What was the point in keeping track of all that death when people like her parents, people like Negan, like the Saviors, thought of it as entertainment? At least there had been a kind of dignity in how she'd killed, making it as quick and painless as possible; wasn't that enough?
"You know this is bullshit, right?" Daryl asked as he tossed the letter and pictures onto the desk beside the bed. Ani remained silent, just nodding her head in agreement, prompting Daryl to say, "Talk to me, baby girl. You promised."
"I know, but I already said it all. I don'...I don' know what else ya want," she admitted. "Tell me what ya want me ta tell ya 'bout what happened ta ya. 'Cause I really don' know what else ta say. I'm jus' tired a carin' 'bout anythin' that ain' ours."
Daryl looked down before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her with him to lay down, her back pressed to his chest. It was easier to talk when he didn't have to look at her face right now because he didn't want to see the pain or guilt or really any emotion she would show in her eyes. He rested his other hand on her lower stomach, rubbing the hard bump just starting to form there as he closed his eyes and sighed, Ani resting her head on his bicep as he folded his other hand under his head. He wasn't sure if she would blame him for anything she had gone through, or any of the thoughts he'd had. He wasn't sure if she would blame herself for what he had been through and if that would affect her or the baby. It wasn't like he'd suffered worse in his life and it wasn't like he hadn't been made to do things both at home and with Merle once upon a time. Daryl just didn't know what he was going to tell her about everything that had happened when he really didn't want her to know any of it.
"It wasn't nothin' I couldn't handle. Gave me shit for food, made a lot a threats, had me workin' the fence," he summed up.
"Beat the shite out a ya," she sniffled.
"Yeah."
"What else?" she asked. "I know they did more'n that. Words hurt more'n stones sometimes, rememba? Told ya, abuse don' jus' end with fists."
Daryl's grip on her tightened after that before he buried his face in her hair, "They said you were gonna kneel. That you were gonna be one of Negan's wives. You were goin' back to your parents. Your folks, they...they threatened to kill the baby, skin you alive 'til you died. I didn't know how you were, how the baby was," his voice broke as he barely managed a volume above a whisper. "It's my fault Glenn died," he cried into her hair. "They threatened the baby and I lashed out. 'Cause a that, 'cause I punched Negan, he died. And now Maggie...Maggie's baby...It's my fault."
"It's our fault," Ani corrected, turning in his arms and moving up on the bed so that she could hold him to her chest. "If I'd a jus' stayed home, not gone with ya and Denny, I would a neva been in such a position ya felt that ya had ta do that."
"It's not your fault," he denied. "It's on me, just me."
"Nah, it ain'," she promised, running her fingers through his hair. "It ain' ya fault. They threatened me, threatened our baby. Nah one can fault ya for wantin' ta protect what's ya's."
"What'd they do to you?" he asked, holding onto her for dear life.
"Nothin' really. They didn' do nothin' ta me at all 'cept keep me in that damn room. They threatened ya, though. They threatened ya a lot. They rarely threatened me directly. It was always threats towards ya. And then promises that ya could be safe if I jus', if I knelt. Promises that we could be a family, that the baby would be safe, that ya would be with me. Afta that beatin' ya took, afta I figya'd Negan out pretty well, I didn' think it'd be so bad. I thought about it. A lot, ta be honest. Could a helped that place be betta, ya know? Could a built it ta where we were workin' with the otha communities, not lordin' ova them. Thought it might be worth tryin' if it kept ya safe and with me. But I couldn'. I couldn' ask ya ta give up who ya are. I couldn' give up who...who I thought I was."
"You're still you," he mumbled against her chest.
"But I'm not," she said. "I'm not the same as 'fore all this. That letta...findin' out I neva even met my real daddy. How they hated me jus' 'cause my momma had an affair. That the only reason I'm even alive was 'cause they forced me ta be. I was forced inta that house 'stead a bein' in the system or somethin' else all 'cause they thought I was nothin' more'n a shame. All that fuckin' shite dancin' 'round in me head. How they fuckin' looked at me right 'fore Negan gave me that orda. How he threatened ta kill ya and Carl if I didn' do it slow. Killin' Tom like that only for Negan ta tell me I did good aftawards," it was Ani's turn to break down as she held him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before resting her cheek there. "I thought I had ta count. Thought it had ta mean somethin' that I was a killa. But it don'. It don' mean jack shite in this world. They made me kill my daddy or uncle or whateva the fuck 'e was, made me beat 'im slow, jus' so they could have a bit a fun. What's the point in carin' 'bout killin' anymore? What's the point in carin' 'bout anythin' that ain' ours? I cared 'bout what happened ta them people and they jus' stood and watched and acted like it was jus' anotha day."
"Wasn't your fault, Ania," Daryl told her, looking up at her. "What they made you do, that's not on you."
"I know, but it opened my eyes," she whispered. "It don' matta if ya kill or not. It mattas if ya savive. I'm done countin'. I'm done carin'. I'll kill whoeva I have ta ta keep our people safe, ta keep ya and Little D safe. Phia and Merle. The group. Whateva it takes, it don' matta at the end a the day. 'Cause we savived. I've always been a killa. I'll always be a killa. Nah point denyin' it now. Nah point hidin' it. I am what I am, what I've always been. Nah changin' it."
"Ania, that ain't you."
"It is, though," she cried. "It's what I've always been. I'll always kill if it means keepin' myself safe, always have. I'll do what I need ta ta keep ya and Little D safe. Merle, Sophia, Carl, Judith, Beth...I'll kill anyone and anythin' if it means all a ya stay safe. It's what I've always done. Eva since I was twelve. What I've always had ta do."
"You don't gotta be the one to do it all," Daryl told her, adjusting his position so that he could lean his forehead against hers. "You don't gotta kill anymore. You let me worry about that."
"Nah, D. It's a two way street, alright? I'll let ya protect me, but I'm gonna do the same for ya, for our family. But I ain' riskin' shite anymore. It's got to be kill first, worry 'bout the questions lata from now on. Don' wait 'round for the otha shoe ta drop. Not tryin' ta make things work, jus' doin' what needs done," she said, looking into his eyes for the first time since they'd escaped.
"I know. I know, baby girl," Daryl told her. "I wasn't gonna let that man sound the alarm. I wasn't gonna take the chance. I thought killin' like that, thought it would change somethin'. It didn't. It made sure we got out alive, made sure we could get out. If it means keepin' you safe, keepin' our baby safe, I'll kill 'em all."
"Might neva be the way I was eva again. Not now. Not knowin' what I know, not with all that bullshite swimmin' in my head. Don' know if I want ta be different, eitha," she admitted.
"You ain't the only one. Like you said, though, you're still you, I'm still me, we're still us. Ain't nothin' gonna change that. Don't matter how different we get from what we were, we're always gonna be us," he said staring straight into her eyes. "I love you, Ania. Everythin' about you, and that ain't ever gonna change."
"I love ya, too, D. Always will," she told him before leaning in and kissing him softly. "Ya neva doubted me, did ya?"
"I tried not to," he admitted, sighing and tucking her under his chin rather than looking at her. "When they said you were breakin', when they said Negan had you where he wanted you, I thought...I thought it might be worth it. To kneel. For a moment, I thought you might leave me if I didn't and you did. Dwight, he said Negan had taken a likin' to you, was gonna ask you to be his wife. Thought I might lose you."
"Ya ain' eva goin' ta lose me. I neva doubted ya, but I doubted me. I wanted so badly ta kneel, ta jus' try ta make it work inside, jus' so ya didn' have ta get hurt again," she told him, gripping his shirt and hiding her face in his chest, hurt that he would doubt her, but understanding why this time. "I wanted ta jus' try ta make things change in there. Make things betta. I thought Negan wasn'...I thought he might be...But then...but then..." Ani sighed and changed the subject, "He's got ta die. Negan's got ta die or else this'll neva end."
"I know," Daryl agreed. "And he will. I promise you, baby girl."
"Nah, I promise ya, D. I ain' eva lettin' 'im hurt ya eva again. I should a jus' killed 'im that day and been done with it."
"Coulda been killed doin' it," he told her, holding her to him.
"Ya could a died bein' beat," she whispered as tears fell from her eyes. "I couldn'...I thought...They wouldn' tell me how ya were doin'. All Negan'd do is threaten ya," she cried. "Every damn time I saw 'im, it was all threats and promises and I...I don' eva want ta deal with that. I don' eva want ta not know if...if..."
"Hey," he said as he tilted her chin to look down at her, "we're still here. Both of us. We're still alive, we're still here," he told her before leaning down and gently pressing a kiss to her lips before repeating himself for both of them. "We're still here."