Newly Revised
Daryl was sitting outside his house a week after the incident with Ani and the satellite station, putting the finishing touches on his bike after finishing it, when he noticed a bag there was attached where his own once hung. Grabbing it off his bike, he opened it up only to find another wooden soldier, carved and painted, a reminder of the time he tried to help someone only for it to bite him in the ass. And then, when he finally knew he was going to be a father, Ani was snatched away and threatened by the people they'd fought so hard against. People who'd been out on a run and just got lucky they weren't in the station when their group rolled through. People who, at least according to Ani, wouldn't have been able to take them if Carol hadn't missed her shot. The problem was that Carol had become a great shot; if she missed it was a lot like Ani with her knives and was intentional. That meant that the woman was slipping again, which meant she might take risks and chances with the group again. The woman was still a close friend to him and becoming a friend to his wife, but he didn't know if he could handle her taking risks like that anymore if it involved Ani. He was so lost in his own little world that he didn't hear the front screen open or close, let alone her light footsteps as Ani joined him on the steps. She just sat down and watched him as he threw the soldier off to the side and returned to whatever he was doing with his bike when Carol walked up.
"I didn't even notice," she said, coming up and sitting beside Ani. "You got your bike back."
"Yeah," Daryl said, noticing Ani sitting there and motioning with his head for her to scoot over so he could sit between the two seeing as Carol was smoking. "You got another one of those?" he asked her, making sure the wind wasn't blowing towards Ani before sparking up the proffered stick.
"I can' believe ya still got that damn thing," Ani mentioned, noticing he still had the zippo she'd given him.
"Of course I still have it," he said, grabbing her hand and giving it a kiss before turning to look at the bike again.
"Those people you met," Carol began. "The ones from the burnt forest, they took it from you?"
"Yeah."
"You saved them, right?"
"Yeah. Figured it's what Ania would do," he answered honestly, looking over at his wife who just smiled at him.
"Ya did the right thing, even if they took it for granted," she told him, leaning against his shoulder as she listened to them talk, her hand sliding down his leg and entwining their fingers.
"Sorry it worked out that way," Carol told him. "It's who you are. We're still stuck with that."
"No, we ain't," he countered. "I should've killed 'em."
"Hindsight is twenny twenny," Ani said. "I should a stayed with ya at the quarry. They'd a been dead from the get go if I had. Instead I came back 'ere, where my hands were tied. Ya right that I would a tried ta help 'em. But they'd a been dead the minute they betrayed ya."
She stayed leaning against him as his hand tightened around hers, neither of them noticing how distressed Carol became at their words. Carol couldn't accept that they both were so used to the killing, so used to the idea of it, that they were ready to give up on people just like that. She couldn't even believe that Sophia had said she didn't feel sorry for the people she had killed. The girl had already killed seven people; three at the prison, one on the road, and three more during the Wolves attack. Sophia wasn't bothered by it because those people deserved to die for what they had done and there was nothing wrong with protecting her family. Carol tried to tell her daughter that she shouldn't be so comfortable with killing, that it wasn't something she was supposed to do, but Sophia just called her weak in return. Carol knew had killed because she'd needed to, but she couldn't handle it any more, and being called weak by Sophia made her realize that she really was. Every time she was around the people she loved, she was forced to kill someone to keep them safe to the point she was breaking down. Every time she closed her eyes lately, she had been forced to relive those moments over and over again to the point that she was barely getting any sleep. Dropping the cigarettes beside Daryl, she got up and walked away from the pair without another word, leaving both Daryl and Ani confused.
"Hey," he called, picking up the smokes and looking back at Carol. "The ones that took you guys...What'd they do to you?" he asked, Ani having told him that she wasn't always in the room with Carol.
"To us?" Carol asked. "They didn't do anything," was all she said before she turned and walked away.
"Told ya they didn' do anythin' ta us."
"Yeah, well, I had to make sure. Nothin' to you ain't always nothin'," Daryl said, thinking about all the times she'd been told over the last month to take a test for her to just write it off, or when she had been sick and claimed it was allergies.
"Evidence certainly points in that direction, huh?"
"Yeah it does," he said, sighing as he snuffed out the cigarette before pulling her over to him to sit on his leg. "Gotta test this thing. Safe for you to come, right?"
"I think so," she told him. "I mean, I don' see why I can' ride with ya 'til my tummy is too big ta ride."
"Alright, go get somethin' warmer on," Daryl told her, kissing her bare shoulder before helping her stand from his knee. "Don't need you gettin' sick."
"Be back out in a few," Ani told him before leaning down and capturing his lips, a sappy smile playing on her face when she straightened up.
Going into the house and up to their room, she noticed Sophia sitting in her room looking through the pictures she had. She'd learned that Carl had been asking her about the future and what her plans were, forcing her to admit that she liked him, although not necessarily to Carl. Sophia had spent the last two days avoiding Carl like the plague which left him to hang out with Enid. And because of that, Sophia had taken to sulking around the house and hiding away in her room under the pretense of not feeling good any time Carl came by to ask if he could talk to her. It was almost as frustrating as it was cute to watch the two of them tiptoe around the truth, but that was a problem she would deal with when she got back. Ani really just wanted to go on a ride with Daryl as she grabbed her jacket and headed back to his side. When she got outside, however, she found both Rosita and Denise standing and talking to the man and knew their ride was probably going to be put on hold.
"After I got out of DC," she heard Denise say as she walked up and wrapped her arms around Daryl's middle, one of his arms wrapping around her and pressing her to his side. "I just drove. I remember seeing it right when I realized I had no idea where I was going. Edison's Apothecary and Boutique. It's just this little gift shop in a strip mall, but if it's really an apothecary-"
"It'll have meds!" Ani said excitedly, realization dawning on her face as she smiled at Denise. "I totally forgot 'bout it with everythin' that happened! Denny, ya are fuckin' brilliant!"
"How do you know they still got 'em?" Daryl asked, moving over to the bike and a little bit away from Ani as he looked at the two.
"It isn't that far. I just wanna check. Ani and I were planning on doing it before we found out about the pregnancy, anyway."
"You were gonna go out just the two of you?" Rosita asked Ani, looking like she was talking to an idiot rather than, well, Ani.
"Nah, I was goin' ta take D, too. Maybe Phia if she was up for it. Wasn' goin' ta be stupid as ta take a non-combatant by 'erself or myself. I try not ta make dumb mistakes like that and ya know it."
"Why didn't you talk to me about it?" Daryl asked.
"We hadn' made any concrete plans yet, and ya know damn well I had nothin' ta do with this comin' up taday seein' as I've been glued ta ya all week. Not like I could a had anythin' ta do with this, 'specially since I forgot all 'bout it. Denny must have 'er reasons for wantin' ta go out and if it's somethin' she can do, it'll be fine for me ta go with ya too so I can look at stuff ta see if I can' get more jars for tonics and stuff. 'Sides, it's an easy run far as we know. Still ain' gettin' a lot a walkas up 'ere."
"Look, you and Rosita aren't out scavenging or pulling shifts, so I thought you'd help me," Denise said.
"We'll go," Daryl told her, pointing to him and Rosita. "You two stay here."
"I wanted to check," Denise told him. "I just wanted to help."
"And if Denny's goin', I'm goin'," Ani told him. "I mean, if it's easy 'nough a run for 'er ta go, I don' see why I can'. 'Sides, I already told ya I wanted ta go out with Abe and Gene lata anyway. So I can go with ya or I can go with them. Up ta ya."
"How much time you spent out there?" Daryl asked Denise.
"None," Denise admitted.
"Forget it," he told her, not believing she would actually propose such nonsense or that Ani would go along with it.
"I can ID the meds. I know how to use a machete now," Denise reasoned. "I've seen roamers up close. I'm ready."
"You good with this?" Daryl asked Rosita, knowing asking Ani was useless.
"Hell no," came his reply.
"I'll go alone if I have to," Denise told them.
"Ya won' have ta. I'll go with ya if it comes down ta it. Abe and Gene were headin' towards the area anyways, so we could go with 'em 'til their stop and pop ova for the meds once they're done," Ani told her.
"You'll die by yourselves," Daryl told them, turning to Ani and grabbing her, as if holding her in his arms could make her stay where he told her to.
"I'm asking you to make sure I don't," Denise replied.
"D, it's an easy trip, there and back. Ain' nothin' bad goin' ta happen on it. Please?" Ania asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as she looked up at him with her emerald orbs.
Daryl looked down at her contemplating before looking up at Rosita, who looked insulted as she said, "I'm not babysitting them by myself."
Ani scoffed and rolled her eyes, throwing back at Rosita, "Only thing needin' babysat is ya ego."
"Look, it really is just there and back. There haven't been a lot of walkers since the incident with the wall and we need the medicine. Especially for Ani and Maggie. Ani and I can go by ourselves," Denise told them. "But I wanted the two of you to come with us because you have nothing else to do and I didn't want to be out there with Ani alone. No offense, Ani, but you are pregnant."
"None taken," Ani sighed, not offended but not liking how people were walking on egg shells around her either.
"If we go, you stay with us at all times, and you do what we say," Daryl told her, realizing that both women were determined to make this run no matter what he said.
"I can agree to that," Denise told him.
"Go get your shit," he sighed, resigning himself to the trip even as he grumbled about it.
"I'll be ready in five," Denise said before walking away.
"Are we really going to do this just because she wants to go?" Rosita asked him, gesturing to Ani who was standing in his arms practically beaming at him until she'd spoken.
"I don' got ta go," Ani told her, turning her head to send the woman a glare; they might tolerate each other, but they just couldn't get along. "I was plannin' on goin' with Abe and Gene lata in the day when they got off patrol and guard duty. I jus' figya'd ya'd want me with ya instead," she said, looking up at Daryl again.
"Hell yeah, you're goin' with me," Daryl told her, tightening his hold on her. "And you're takin' the twins."
"There's not enough room in the truck," Rosita said.
"I don' mind ridin' in the back. Not like it'd be the first time I've done it since this all started and the twins can ride with me."
"You sure, baby girl?"
"Positive. I'll jus' lay down in the truck bed and get some rest. Ya know the cats'll do the same."
"Alright," he said, leaning down to kiss her as Rosita scoffed and walked off.
"I'll stick ta ya like glue, won' leave ya sight," Ani told him when he broke the kiss. "I know ya not happy I'm goin', but it really is an easy run. 'Fore we found out, we were goin' ta go, me and Denny. Figya'd ya'd come too. I guess Rosita comin' ain' that bad a thing."
"You sure you'll be fine in the back of the truck?"
"Ya sure ya can drive it without makin' me puke?"
"Don't start," Daryl said with a smile.
"I ain' sayin' shite, but ya make me puke, ya goin' ta be ridin' in the back while I drive," she laughed before they both let go of each other and went to get their gear.
Daryl pulled her under his arm as they walked over to the infirmary to pick up Denise and then over to the truck where Rosita was waiting. He kissed Ani again as he helped her up into the back of the truck before she climbed back towards the cab while the twins hopped up and he closed the tailgate, telling her to hang on. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as she turned her face away from where Denise and Rosita were standing. Ani couldn't help the fact that she knew what they were in store for since Daryl didn't actually know how to drive a shift. His masculine pride, though, wouldn't allow him to give up the driver's seat while others were around. If it had been just him and her, maybe he'd be willing to let her drive, but with Rosita and Denise around, she doubted very much he'd be willing to give up the wheel. The only way he might even consider it would be if she got sick and, even then, she'd probably have to tell them some kind of excuse as to why she wanted to drive. They would immediately know the truth once the truck stopped lurching if she drove, though, the gears no longer grinding as they went down the road. While the truck did lurch quite a bit, the fresh air kept her stomach from roiling too much as she laid down in the bed of the truck.
They'd gotten through the better part of the town the strip mall was located in after an hour or so of travel; the truck pulled to a stop, Ani moving to sit up to see what had caused their delay. Upon seeing the downed tree in the road, she quickly began thinking about the possibilities and brought the rifle she'd brought with her up as she double checked their surroundings. Daryl and Rosita got out of the cab, Daryl telling her to stay put for which he received a curt nod, before they began inspecting the area, both on high alert. Denise looked back at her, worry written all over her face to which Ani just smiled and nodded her head in an attempt at being reassuring. Ani watched as Daryl walked a little further into the woods and Rosita raised and subsequently lowered her machete, no doubt taking out a walker before she began checking it. Ani's eyes were like a hawks as she stared at Daryl's back until he turned back around deeming it safe enough after a short word from Rosita. Daryl came around to the back of the truck and helped Ani out before grabbing a pack and putting it on his shoulder, Ani doing the same with hers, as the twins jumped down.
Rosita returned to the truck and opened the door, telling Denise, "Come on, it's clear."
Denise asked Rosita, "What'd you find?"
"Bottles of booze. Any takers?"
"Can' 'til the baby's born," Ani said, smiling away even though she was losing the ability to do something; it wasn't like processed meats and cheeses or sushi were things she could say that about, so it was nice that she could say it about at least one thing.
"No thanks," was all Denise said.
"For later," Rosita clarified. "I'm not bringing these to the pantry."
"If it's high proof, ya should save it for medicine," Ani warned. "But if we can get what we need from the apothecary, I guess it won' matta much."
"I'm still good," Denise told her as she struggled to pull the map out of her bag. "They were kind of my parents' thing. Which is why they aren't mine."
Daryl walked up with Ani then, handing Rosita her back and stating, "This truck ain't gonna make it past this tree. Come on, let's walk."
"Hold up," Denise said, making both Daryl and Ani stop in their movement as Denise and Rosita stood on the train tracks that crossed the road. "Looks like a straight shot if we follow the tracks."
"No," Daryl said, remembering how the tracks had led them to Terminus. "No tracks. We'll take the road."
"That's twice as far," Rosita told him.
"Go whichever way you like," Daryl said, not wanting to risk Ani's safety on the tracks given their record with the damn things; he just wasn't willing to risk it as things had change since last time. Pulling Ani with him and motioning to the twins, he turned back around and began walking around the tree as he shot back, "I ain't takin' no tracks."
Ani didn't know what happened, but only Denise kept walking with them as Rosita had apparently decided to take the tracks rather than the road. Daryl was determined, though, and Ani couldn't blame the man for being cautious after how the tracks had been not all that long again. While the tracks might be the shorter distance, there were way more things that could go wrong on tracks that cut through the countryside versus roads that littered by towns and shops. Even though it would seem like the risks would be the other way around, having a place to hide or hunker down was better than being stuck in the open with a horde or worse, more people and guns than they had themselves. Daryl kept a hold of her hand the entire time they walked, no one talking as Ani enjoyed the sound of nature around them. Daryl was on a rampage for a reason Ani couldn't quite figure out while Denise was just as shy and awkward as always as silence fell around them. The only time they talked was when Ani pointed out medicinal herbs in the wild to Denise, who then double checked her knowledge on what they did in a kind of pop quiz/review type way the two of them began on the fly.
When they reached the tracks in town, Rosita was sitting on a stone before she walked up, saying, "About time."
"Shut it," Ani said as he dragged her past the woman, the twins bounding on ahead only to stop every few yards to look back and make sure the quartet were still in sight.
The sun was just starting its downward descent as they finally reached the apothecary, the sight a bit gruesome as all the hand prints on the windows were obviously of dried blood. Ani couldn't tell if people had actually been trying to get in, if it had been walkers, or if it had been some sort of combination, but it certainly made the entire trip seem foreboding. To make matters worse, the apothecary was the only store with the hand prints on the window coverings. The rest of the stores were covered with what was to be expected as far as debris and filth. As Daryl released her hand, Ani took a shuttered breath while he walked up to the door and banged on it a couple times, both of their ears pricked to listen for any movement on the inside. Her head was on a swivel as they waited to see if there were walkers inside while sitting out in the open for any walkers or people to come up on. Her hand was gripping her gun rather tightly, something Denise must have noticed since she tapped her elbow and slightly looked down. When Ani looked down and realized she was white-knuckling her firearm, she gave the woman a slight nod and relaxed her grip. They waited a few more moments before Daryl determined that there was nothing in the building and turned to hand Ani his gun.
"Alright. Me and her," he told them, motioning to Rosita, "are gonna do this. You two are gonna stay back, got it?"
"I can help, D," Ani told him while holding both guns in a way that would let her swing up and shoot at any second.
"I know, but you're gonna stay back this time," he said as he pulled out his wrecking bar and pried the door open.
"Don' start coddlin' me jus' yet," Ani said with a smile, shaking her head as she moved behind him, letting Rosita take her spot so that the two of them could take the lead in clearing the store.
Ani held the door open as Daryl entered, then Rosita, followed by the twins, spreading out to make sure there were no walkers before giving the all . Denise entered next with Ani taking up the rear, the smell immediately causing Ani to retch while Denise gagged herself. Ani could practically feel Rosita's eye roll, but she couldn't help her sensitive nose. She'd always been able to smell things others couldn't, like the rain on the road, or the finished smell of meat when it just started cooking, or a stink she could never quite place in a room. It seemed that pregnancy had made it even more sensitive, though, as she had been smelling everything a lot more ever since her nose had unplugged back at the prison. Ani hated that it was so easy for her stomach to get queasy in general; she'd gotten sick that morning after eating a strawberry. To be fair, in this particular situation, the smell of all the rotten plants and dead animals might have made her puke nonetheless with how strong it was. Daryl turned around and looked at Denise, not even caring that Ani had actually puked seeing as she had been doing that a lot lately.
"We gonna find out what you had for breakfast?" he asked the girl condescendingly.
"D," Ani sighed as she shook her head, moving around the store to see what she could see.
"Oatmeal," Denise answered honestly. "Just so you know."
"Booyah!" Ani exclaimed as she grabbed up a granite mortar and pestle. "Ya need more a these in the infirmary. Ya only got the one, plus my tiny one. Ya should grab up any granite or marble ones. They're a bit heavy, so we'll prolly have ta come back for more."
"Hey," Rosita called.
They all looked over to see she had found the pharmacy and began converging on the shuttered doors behind the counter. Daryl struggled with getting the door open with the wrecking bar which made Ani laugh before she walked over and run her fingers along his shoulder. When he looked at her, she just told him that she could get it easier with a smile playing at her lips as she pulled out her pins. He stepped back and let her lean over to get a better look and work on the lock, though he stayed standing right beside her with his gun at the ready for if she got it open. It didn't take her long to get it open and looked back at the other two seasoned runners. All three of them were ready and waiting for anything that might be on the other side when they swung the shutters open. She was holding onto the door when she heard Denise talk from behind as she turned to look at Rosita and make sure she was ready.
"Do you want me to hold your bags, or...? Yeah."
Ani threw open the door and ducked down as Rosita and Daryl made sure it was clear. Thankfully, it looked as if the entire stock of the store was intact, the shelves still full of medicine. It didn't look like anyone at all had touched the building, to be honest. There were no smashed pieces of glass on the floor, just a lot of really dead plants that she planned on coming back for in the hopes of reviving them. All of the glass shelves in the building had been left to gather dust and mildew in the year and a half or so since the start of everything. The place looked like it had completely been abandoned to the grip of time, although that was a good thing for their group. They could bring more people back to get the rest of the items they could use in the infirmary back home. It was a pretty damn perfect find with how they would, eventually, have to have their own up and running apothecary in the near future. Daryl and Rosita hopped up on the counter and over to the other side, Ani going to follow suit before Daryl stopped her.
"Why don't you look around, see what else is useful," he told her. "We got this."
"Alright," she said with a pout.
"Hey, it's just tight back here, that's all. If we need you, I'll tell you."
"I get it, D. They might have a few things we can use out 'ere. I can check the bottles and decanters. We can store pre-made antiseptics and tonics in 'em for quick dispersal."
"Alright, just be safe," he said, giving her hand a quick squeeze.
"If you set 'em on the counter, I can tell you which," she heard Denise say as she started looking around.
"Naw, we're gonna take it all."
"Are you sure? Because-"
"No, it's fine," Rosita said. "You should help Ani."
"Don' need help! Keep a light in that pharmacy!" Ani pseudo-shouted across the store.
She picked a few decanters that were empty and made of colored crystal; the different colors would make it easier to remember what was in them. They wouldn't always have graphite pencils to write with and ink was going to be even harder to find, so finding ways to distinguish between medicines without writing would be needed. There were several things that were just ridiculous; healing stones, chakra crystals, and combinations of herbs that claimed to help with wealth and romance. Sure, there were some herbs that could help with euphoria, but that didn't mean it would get it up or going. If she emptied the jars, though, they could have them to hand out medicine to the sick or injured with instructions of how to take it at home. It would make things a lot easier for the people of the community rather than them having to run back and forth when they needed a dose of medicine. The three survivors froze in place as they heard thudding sound from somewhere in the store, Ani quickly moving back to the pharmacy after the second thump. Both Daryl and Rosita were eyeing the same door she was that was closed on the wall, potentially an office or a bathroom, but either way, it was locked tight.
"It's just one," Rosita said before returning to the pharmacy, Ani nodding in agreement.
"It sounds like it's stuck," Daryl agreed, also going back to work.
Ani returned to the store, finding a few packages of bandages on the shelves as well as a few first aide items the pantry could stock up on. Adding them all to her bag, she made sure to carefully tuck them around the decanters to prevent them from rattling too much on the return trip. She made sure not to make her pack too heavy as Dr. Carson had warned her about lifting too heavy of items. Essentially, if it was heavier than carrying the twins together, it was too heavy for her to lift, no matter how much she could lift. Ani was startled when the sound of breaking glass and other things hitting the ground reached her ears, her hand immediately turning the safety off as she swung around. While she was way more comfortable with her knives, after the mission with the Saviors, she kept her gun ready at all times. She held her light up, looking for the source of the noise, until it landed on Denise, both Rosita and Daryl back at the open door of the pharmacy. Ani could tell they were annoyed with the woman and her stumbling and fumbling around, but most of their group had been like that at first, especially Carol and Beth.
"What the hell are you doing?" Rosita asked Denise in a quipped tone.
"Nothing," Denise told her before heading outside.
"Ya don' got ta be a bitch, Rose," Ani said before also leaving the building to talk to Denise. "What's wrong, Denny?"
"Nothing."
"It's somethin', hun. Talk ta me. Please?" Ani encouraged, sitting next to the woman who was leaning against one of the stone pillars between the stores.
"I'm not cut out for this. What was I thinking coming out here?"
"Ya were thinkin' ya wanted ta be helpful more'n jus' runnin' the infirmary. Ain' nothin' wrong with tryin' ta be helpful. Hell, ya brave as fuck comin' out 'ere even though ya've only seen 'em up close, ya neva fought 'em. Don' beat yaself up for bein' a novice amongst seasoned veterans."
Denise couldn't help the small smile that played on her face as she looked at Ani, "Why are you so nice to me?"
"Why did ya save my hair?"
"That's not...I just...It seemed important to you."
"Exactly, and ya are important ta me. Ya special, Denny."
"I'm nobody. I can't even kill a walker. I miss my brother. He was the one that could do all this stuff. He was the one that could survive, that should have survived," she said, looking at the key chain in her hand.
"Ya my best friend. That makes ya somethin'," Ani admitted, making Denise look at her in shock. "I ain' had many friends, and only one otha that cared 'nough 'bout me ta notice the small things and make 'em betta, like ya did with me losin' my hair. Ya jus' as kind, jus' as sweet, jus' as carin' as that woman was. And ya got jus' as big a heart. Ya been lookin' out for me since day one, and that means somethin' ta me. It's part a what makes ya special, the fact that ya care 'bout everyone. Neva think less a yaself jus' 'cause ya can' do somethin' right now. It's jus' right now, right? There's always lata. And, for what it's worth, I'm sure if ya brotha was 'ere, he'd be damn proud a ya for what ya've become, what ya've pushed yaself ta do."
"Thanks, Ani. You know, you're my best friend, too," Denise told her with a small smile, wiping the tears from her eyes as she turned her head away from the door as Daryl and Rosita came out of the shop.
"Hey," Daryl said to get their attention, both of them looking at him. "You did good findin' this place," he told Denise as she wiped her face again.
"Tried to tell you you weren't ready," Rosita said. "We both did."
"Shut the fuck up, Rose! She wanted ta try! Why do ya got ta be such a bitch all the time?"
"I'm just telling her the truth. You'd think you would understand that."
"There's bein' honest and then there's bein' cruel. She don' need this shite right now. She's doin' 'er best. Jus' 'cause she ain' a fighta like ya doesn' mean ya can treat 'er like shite or like a child 'cause she freaks out!"
"It's alright, Ani. She's right. I know."
Ani gave Rosita a dirty look as the woman rolled her eyes and walked away, Denise pulling herself up to standing. Daryl walked up and offered Ani a hand, which she took as she stood herself, making sure that she was okay and her bag wasn't too heavy. Ani took a step up into him, just breathing him in as she willed herself to calm down. It was neither Denise nor Rosita's fault she was as irritable as she had become and she very well knew it. She was starting to absolutely hate how she was behaving and the fact that she was losing control of how quick to anger she was. They walked in silence, Denise holding onto the keychain and fiddling with it every so often as they moved down the road. Rosita had apparently decided that she was done talking to Ani as she forged ahead faster than the rest of them. That was absolutely fine with Ani because she wasn't really interested in talking to Rosita anymore, either, when every time the woman opened her mouth she wanted to punch her. Daryl was holding onto Ani's hand as the kittens pranced along beside them, fanning out to include Denise as they moved to walk beside her.
"So was he older or younger?" Daryl asked, noticing her looking at the keychain yet again.
"Older," Denise responded quietly. "By six minutes. My parents came up with the Dennis/Denise thing on one of their benders. Hilarious, right? Nothing scared him. He was brave. He was angry, too. It's kind of a dangerous combination."
"Sounds like we got the same brother," Daryl told her when they came upon the train tracks. "Though mine's changed to a certain point."
"Hey," Rosita said as she noticed him pulling Ani down them.
"This way's faster, right?" he reasoned.
Ani just smiled and let go of his hand moving to walk by his side, his arm coming up over her shoulders as they made their way back to Alexandria. He'd asked her if her pack was too heavy for her once again and she told him that it was fine. She'd double checked the weight and while it was a bit heavier than the twins, she wasn't straining herself nor did she feel any discomfort, so she was fine. Ani did admit that she was getting tired, though, as they passed a couple cars that had been left on the side of the tracks. That was another thing she was starting to get sick of; always wanting a nap the minute she really did anything for prolonged periods of time. They'd driven the truck into town and only had to walk a mile at most to get back to it and she was already feeling the need for a rest. She'd gone a week with little to no sleep after she ran from the prison and had gone even longer before that. It was like, ever since they'd gotten to Alexandria and had time to start winding down, all she wanted to do was sleep. She sighed under Daryl's arm earning her a look from her husband to which she simply shook her head to. The last thing she wanted was to tell him that she was beginning to dislike the symptoms of being pregnant and have him think she wasn't happy to have his kid. She thought about it as the four of them walked on, only to realize Denise must have stopped to look at something when she shouted at them.
"There's a cooler! Might be something we can use inside!"
"We got what we came for," Rosita told her when they stopped and looked behind them.
"Naw, ain't worth the trouble, come on!" Daryl agreed, Ani just nodding her head in agreement seeing as she wanted to get home.
The three of them turned to continue down the tracks, not bothering to check if Denise was following; given how she'd acted in the apothecary, none of them thought she would pull the stupid stunt she did. Ani, especially, didn't think she would be that dumb after their talk and her friend had admitted that her frenemy was right about the fact that she shouldn't have come. They were all proven wrong when they heard her curses before they turned back, all three of them taking off in a dead run back towards her as they saw her struggling with a walker. If they thought the young woman had been wrong to come past the walls of Alexandria before, they fully agreed with each other that it had been a stupid idea on their part. They should have left her at home and just brough Ani with them to guide them; at least she was actually helpful and knew how to handle walkers as Denise continued cursing. They'd just managed to get around the cars with their knives out when the woman shouted at them yet again from her place on top of the walker.
"No, don't!" she yelled as she struggled to get a clean shot at the thing.
Daryl pulled Ani back as the woman fought to try to get to Denise, knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea for her to act in a moment of anger. Denise was the only friend outside of Eric and Aaron that she had made since they'd made a home in Alexandria. He and Rosita shared a look when Denise finally killed the walker, Ani's glare at the woman evident on her face. All three of them agreed that what the blonde woman had done had been absolutely reckless and had put her life at risk unnecessarily. There was nothing short of medicine they would never be able to find, something that might be for cancer or diabetes, that would constitute such an idiotic mood. Considering the fact that the cooler had been locked in a car with a walker for quite a long time, neither of those options was viable. Whatever was in that cooler wasn't important enough to even bother using the energy it took to look at the damn thing. Even Denise must have realized how dumb she was after she finally had the damn cooler since she bent over and finally puked.
"Are ya fuckin' stupid, Denny?!" Ani shouted at her.
"Oh man. I threw up on my glasses," she said before going over to the cooler, opening it and exclaiming, "Hot damn!"
"What the hell was that?" Daryl asked angrily as he charged a few steps closer to her when she pulled out beer and a single can of Orange Crush. "You could've died right there, you know that?"
"Yeah, I do," she told him defiantly.
"Are you hearin' me?" he asked.
"Seriously, are ya fuckin' stupid?" Ani repeated herself.
"Who gives a shit?!" Denise yelled back. "You could've died killing those Saviors. Ani could've died when she was taken! All three of you could have died! But you didn't! You wanna live you take chances! That's how it works. That's what I did."
"For a couple of damn sodas?" Daryl growled out.
"Nope," she said, walking past him and holding up the single can of Crush. "Just this one."
"I should a neva told 'er I'd bring 'er out all them weeks ago," Ani said with a shake of her head, Daryl and Rosita sharing a look before Rosita's temper got the best of her.
"Are you seriously that stupid?" she asked Denise as the woman marched down the tracks, Daryl pulling a shaking Ani with him and under his arm as they came to a stop, Ani standing in front of Denise as the three of them stood to reprimand her.
"Are you?" Denise retaliated. "I meant it. Are you? Do you have any clue what that was to me, what this whole thing is to me?" she asked the three of them. "See, I have training in this shit, some of it thanks to you!" she said, pointing at Ani. "I'm not making it up as I go along like with the stitches and the surgery and the..." gesturing with her hand, she left the rest of that sentence unsaid as she, Daryl, and Ani understood she was talking about Tara. Pointing to Ani she said, "I wanted you to come along because you knew what else to look for that I didn't and you don't like being cooped up." Turning to Daryl she said, "I asked you to come with me because you're brave like my brother and sometimes you actually make me feel safe. And I wanted you here because you're angry," she said, turning to Rosita. "You're alone, probably for the first time in your life and because you're stronger than you think you are which gives me hope that maybe I can be, too. Both you and Ani are." She stopped and looked around before admitting, "I could have gone with Tara. I could've told her I loved her. But I didn't because I was afraid. That's what's stupid. Not coming out here, not facing my shit. And it makes me sick that none of you are even trying because you're strong and you're smart and you're all really good people! And if you don't wake..." Ani watched in horror along with Daryl as a bolt suddenly protruded from Denise's eye as she tried to finish speaking, "and face your..."
"No!" Ani screamed as she and Daryl went to catch her as she fell.
Ani was on her knees with Denise's body as Daryl and Rosita raised their firearms, only for a voice to ring out from the woods, "You drop 'em now!" Looking up, she saw a blonde man with Daryl's crossbow holding onto Eugene with several other men with high-powered weaponry surrounding them. "Well, hell," the blonde one stated as Daryl moved to step in front of Ani as best he could while staring at him. "You got something to say to me?" he asked Daryl. "You gonna clear the air? Step up on that high horse?" he asked as Ani stood, coming to stand right behind Daryl as she realized this was the guy from the burnt forest. "No. You don't talk much." He gestured with his head to two of the other men, who came up and removed them of their items, before motioning to the crossbow in his hand, "Still getting the hang of her. Kicks like a bitch, but, uh-"
"I should've done it," Daryl said, cutting him off.
"Oh, what's that?" the man asked. "Seriously, I didn't catch what you said."
"I should've killed ya," Daryl repeated.
"Yeah, you probably should've," the man agreed. "So, here we are. Kinda begs the question, right? Who brought this on who? I mean, I get that you'll just have to take my word for this, but, she wasn't even the one I was aiming for. I was trying to tag that little thing you seem so determined to protect, make it easier to take her back. That the wife you were trying to get back to? Well, like I said, kicks like a bitch."
"You leave her out of this," Daryl growled, fully stepping in front of Ani as she bristled and began trying to formulate a plan in her head.
"It's nothing personal," the man said. "Look, this isn't how we like to start new business arrangements, but you pricks kind of set the tone."
"Nah, ya pricks did, killin' a sixteen year old boy ta make a point. Killin' my friend jus' now, even if ya were aimin' for me. Ya dead," Ani growled out herself. "I'm goin' ta kill ya, jus' wait and see."
"And you are? I mean, I know you're the wife, but I do prefer using names."
"I don' feel like tellin' ya."
"Well, that's fine. We've been told about you, Titania. We'll get acquainted eventually," he told her nonchalantly, making her stiffen and immediately reach for Daryl, something he noticed.
"What do you want?" Rosita asked him.
"I'm sorry, darlin', I didn't catch your name either," he said, honest curiosity in his voice rather than charm. "I'm D, or Dwight. You can call me either. So? What's your name?"
"Rosita. What do you want?"
"Well, Rosita," he said, making sure to emphasize the accent like Rosita had herself. "It's not what I want. It's what you, Daryl, and his wife are gonna do. You're gonna let us into your little complex. It looks like it's just beautiful in there. And then you're gonna let us take whatever, and whoever we want, including Titania to take her back to her parents, or we blow Eugene's brains out."
"You can't have her!" Daryl said, one arm holding her to his back as best he could in an attempt to not only get her out of the line of sight but also to protect her; even Rosita moved closer to the pregnant woman.
"And then yours, and then hers, and then his," Dwight finished his threat, not bothering to even acknowledge Daryl's outburst. "I hope it doesn't come to that, really. Nobody else has to die. But I am taking Titania with me, and we are going back to your complex. One way or another. We try to only start with one. You know, maximum impact to get our point across. So what's it gonna be? You tell me?"
"You wanna kill someone," Eugene popped up suddenly, "you start with our companion hiding over there hiding behind the oil barrels. He's a first class a-hole and he deserves it so much more than us four. Especially with Ani's bun in the oven. She deserves it the least."
Dwight looked up at the woman hiding behind Daryl in surprise before turning to look at the oil barrels with a gesture of his head and a command for the barrels to be checked out, several of the men moving with their guns up at the ready. Dwight himself unholstered his handgun, though he kept it down with the safety on. Ani was still shaking as Daryl held her to him, though the look on Eugene's face did not go unnoticed by her. She waited and watched, taking in everything she could as she waited for whatever it was that Eugene had planned. Him turning around and biting Dwight's penis with everything he had just before the sound of gunfire broke out was the last thing she expected. Two of the men were immediately taken out with the gunfire coming from the woods close to the barrels. Ani pulled out the throwing knives she kept in her boots and took down another three as Daryl ran up to one, taking his knife back and slitting the man's throat as he shot into the trees. Picking up the man's gun, Daryl watched as Ani grabbed one up herself, opening fire and taking another two out in seconds. As he ran for cover, he yelled for her, Ani responding before ducking behind the car to land under him as he hovered there. The ensuing gunfight brought a lot of walkers out of the woods, both Daryl and Rosita firing at Dwight as often as they could.
Ani was trying not to scream in anger as she tried to kill every man she could even as the men fell back, picking off another two as they moved through the trees. She heard Daryl's gun click indicating the clip was empty and almost, as if in slow motion, she watched as Dwight raised his gun while Daryl was distracted. It was pure instinct that had her pushing him out of the way as Dwight squeezed the trigger, pain erupting in Ani's right shoulder as she fell on top of Daryl with a cry. He watched in horror as blood began to flow from the wound before anger erupted in him and he was carefully, but quickly, helping her to sit. Daryl ran forward and grabbed his bow off the ground, fully intent on following after and killing Dwight once and for all before Rosita stopped him. The kittens had been told to run and hide and only now were coming back out, Bobby following after the men as they ran before noticing he wasn't being followed.
"Daryl! Stop!" she told him, leaning over Eugene, who had been shot in the stomach.
He was half passed out from the pain and from being beaten up as Rosita put pressure on the bullet wound while Abraham went to Ani. He tied a rag from Ani's bag around her shoulder as the kittens stood guard beside her and she assured them that she could walk until they got back to the truck, and for sure she did. They put Eugene in the truck bed with Rosita, Ani and Daryl climbing into the cab, Ani was still shaking as he wrapped her in his arms, Abraham taking the wheel. All she could do was apologize to him for messing up, for going out and taking Denise with her. By the time they made it back to Alexandria, she was unconscious and even after Eugene woke up and received an apology from Abraham, she stayed asleep. Even hours later after he'd gone back to get Denise's body, polishing off several of the small bottles of liquor Rosita had brought back, Ani still hadn't woken up. He was in the middle of burying her when Carol walked up and began to help him, both worried about the woman in the infirmary who remained unconscious.
"You were right," Carol told him. "I knew it when you said it."
Daryl didn't say anything, simply finished burying Denise before heading back to Ani's side, until Merle came to the infirmary later that night, sitting with him and Ani as she slept. "You gonna say somethin' or you just gonna keep drinkin'?"
"Fuck off."
"Dammit, Daryl, she needs ya now more'n ever," Merle tried to reason. "Don't pussy out on her now."
"Man, I already did!" Daryl blew up, the liquor and anger getting the better of him. "If I'd've just done it, if I'd've killed them people out in them woods, none of this would've happened today! Denise would still be alive! Ania! Ania...she wouldn't be layin' there! I wouldn't be wonderin' if I still got a wife and a baby! I did that! That's on me! If I'd've just done it! If I...If I..."
Merle gathered Daryl up in his arms in a brotherly hug, something he hadn't done to the boy since he was still wet behind the ears. Daryl broke down in his brother's arms, the weight of everything, of his choice, of Ani's condition, hitting him harder than he wanted to admit. It was his fault, both of them; it was his fault because he should have killed that man in the woods. He should have fought against Ani and Denise going with them out to that store and should have just made them give him a list. They might not have had any casualties if it had been just him and Rosita out there in that fire fight. Ani definitely wouldn't be lying in bed unconscious now with yet another injury he should have been able to prevent. This was all his fault as he moved from his brothers arms to draping over Ani's prone form, holding her hand as he hung his head against her bed, simply crying as Merle held onto his shoulder and said a little prayer, hoping Ani would wake up sooner rather than later.