What Lies Ahead • the walking dead ¹

35 • Redneck and Speedy

Alexa stood on the porch for a long time. It was only when she noticed her brother jogging up to the farmhouse that she finally moved, jumping off the porch steps to meet the boy halfway.

"What's going on, kiddo?" Alexa quizzed as her brother clung to her waist.
"Daryl said to come get you. He said dinner's ready." Chase said happily, his arms still laced around his sister's waist as they began to walk across the field.

The siblings walked in comfortable silence. Nearing Daryl's campsite Chase finally let go of his sister's waist, tugging on her hand to make her stop.
"What?" Alexa asked raising an eyebrow.
"Race."

Alexa smirked as she stood beside her brother.
"Ready?" She asked, getting into a starting position.
"Get set." Chase smiled, copying his sister.
"Go!"
Chase took off a full-on sprint as Alexa gave him a ten-second head start before sprinting after him.

The wind whipped her bangs off her face, her long legs carrying her faster than her brother and eventually in front of him.
"Not fair!"
Alexa heard Chase yell from somewhere behind her. The girl only chuckled as she skitted to a stop at Daryl's motorcycle.

"Ya snooze ya lose my friend." Alexa teased, throwing her arms up in victory as Chase ran up to her side.
"Not fair," Chase said flatly.
"Get faster," Alexa encouraged as her hands fell to her sides. "Besides I gave you like a ten-second head start."
"Still not fair." Chase pouted.
"Still the Speed Queen." Alexa joked, flipping her hair before she moved to the firepit where Daryl was already sitting.

The girl sat down on the ground across from Daryl, leaving the extra log open for Chase who joined them as well.
"Here," Daryl grumbled, handing the siblings sticks of cooked squirrel.
"Thanks, redneck," Alexa mumbled, accepting her ration of food.

"You're welcome, speedy," Daryl grumbled, taking a bite of his squirrel. Alexa glared across the fire at the man. She knew he gave her the nickname to get back at her for calling him "redneck" all the time. But for some reason, it didn't sit right with the girl.

As the sun started to set the trio sat in silence, and finished up their food. The silence was only cut when Daryl spoke up again.
"You makin' breakfas' tomorro'?"
Alexa threw her stick into the fire before responding.
"Yeah, whatcha want?" She asked, sticking to the system of her cooking breakfast and Daryl cooking dinner.

Daryl leaned back on the log he was sitting on, probably thinking about an impossible meal for the girl to cook.
"Pancakes." He said flatly.
"Funny." The girl said, rolling her eyes. "How 'bout eggs?"

Daryl hummed, chucking his stick into the fire as well before he stood.
"Gotta piss." He mumbled, walking away.
"Cuz we needed to know," Alexa said loud enough for the man to hear. She turned to her brother, watching as he set his stick in the fire as well.

"Wish we had marshmallows," Chase muttered, gazing into the flames. Alexa patted the boy's shoulder in agreement, gazing into the fire as well.
"Why don't you get ready for bed?" She suggested. "You need some rest,"
Chase grumbled in protest but still, he stood, ambling over to Daryl's tent and disappearing inside.

Alexa sighed, looking back to the fire. Her head was lost in space before she heard the snapping of a twig behind her. She knew it was Daryl so she didn't bother to turn and see. Instead, she kept her eyes locked on the fire as Daryl surprisingly sat on the dirt next to her.

"Goin' to bed?" The man asked in his usual raspy voice.
"Nah..." Alexa sighed, her eyes not straying from the flames. Daryl hummed and much to Alexa's shock threw an arm around her shoulder.

At first, Alexa's eyes widened at the sudden feeling. But her body soon melted into Daryl's light and unexpected touch. His touch was warm and comforting. Alarmingly, considering the type of guy he was.

But Alexa was never quite sure what ran through the man's mind when he did random things like he was doing now. But she chose to accept it instead of denying it. Which might have been a mistake considering the current state of the world...

Alexa couldn't help but glance at the man, her mind racing back to what Lori had said that afternoon about Daryl caring about her. Alexa remembered contemplating whether Daryl cared for her in a friendly sort of way or a... another sort of way. Right now it seemed like the latter, but Alexa was never quite sure when it came to Daryl. He was, after all, a master of switching his emotions at random.

"I was thinkin' about that run ya mentioned," Daryl said suddenly, ripping Alexa from her thoughts. "I wouldn't mind goin' with ya."
"Why? Think I can't handle it by myself?" Alexa quizzed jokingly, trying to keep a level head as Daryl kept his arm wrapped securely around her.

Daryl grumbled before answering. "We should stock up on canned food for the winter. Get som' meds for your boy."
"Alright," Alexa answered simply, accidentally letting a yawn pass through her lips.
"Ya should try to sleep," Daryl suggested, removing his arm from Alexa's shoulder.

"Not yet," Alexa grumbled, noticing Shane's green Ford speeding down the darkening path and toward the farmhouse. "Their back."
"You goin' over there?" Daryl quizzed as he stood up with Alexa.
"I'm snooping," Alexa said, describing her way of snooping before walking in the direction of the house.

"You gonna wait up?" Daryl called, jogging up behind the girl.
"Nope." She smirked. "Try to keep up."
"Don't-!" Before the man could finish he watched Alexa run away. "Speedy!"
Daryl sighed before running after the girl who was already halfway across the field.

By the time Daryl caught up with the girl she had already stopped by Shane's car, the rest of the group already hovering around.
"What happened?" Andrea was the first to question.

"He knows Maggie, says he went to school
with her." Rick explained shakily. It was then that Alexa noticed Randall still in the back seat. "He knows where the farm is. We can't let him go." Alexa heard what Rick said. But she was more interested in the collection of cuts, bruises, and blood on both his and Shane's faces.

Some of the blood was clearly from walkers, but the cuts and Bruises on their faces were from something more. Alexa could tell based on the bruises she caught a glimpse of on Rick's knuckles. The two fought, Alexa concluded before she tuned back into what Rick was saying.

"We have to kill him."