What's Next

Chapter Thirty One 🦋

Val's POV:

Thanks to Michonne yesterday, we finally got control of Rick. Had to lock him in a basement in one of the houses that the community used as like a holding cell of sorts. I guess with how much of the old world still carried throughout the community Rick just snapped. Surprised I hadn't yet. If I had my crossbow, I'd be outside these walls right now trying to clear my head, only Daryl had hidden it from me. I didn't want to turn it in with the rest of the guns, but still no one wanted me to have it. Only I questioned how they all expected me to protect myself. I got rid of my whip, started to become useless, I began to find myself losing interest in using it. Started to become a handful at times, it wasn't the most logical choice in weapons, also considering I'd be holding a baby close to my chest any day now.

Anyways, tonight there was meeting to be held. It would be decided whether or not Rick will be banished from the community. It's bullshit, all of it. The world isn't the way it used to be. Just because they got to live behind a wall pretty much the entire time, doesn't mean that shit needed to change. They are all just pissed that Rick was telling them all something they didn't want to accept. Mind you it could have been done better but what's happened has happened.

Vanessa started to come over a bit since the incident yesterday, she of all people actually knew Rick before all of it. She knew how he used to be. Even after yesterday, I knew the new world Rick would have terrified her, but she hasn't told me yet. Soon I heard knocking on the door, "Coming!" I called out, trying to get off of the couch again. "I got it Aunt Val," Carl stated, stopping me in my tracks, heading for the front door.

"Hey Carl, where's your aunt?" I hear Vanessa question my nephew. "I'm here," I called, raising my arm from the couch so she could see it as I had laid back down on the couch. Footsteps were heard as Vanessa made her way over to me. "Hey Nessa," I greeted the moment she came into view. "Hey valley, how are you feeling?" Vanessa asked immediately. Ever since she discovered about me and the pregnancy she was constantly worried about me, just like it used to be. "I'm fine Nessie, I'll be even better once Daryl's back. At least he knows how to handle Rick. This mess wouldn't have happened if Daryl was still here. Bad enough that my own brother might be tossed out of this place." I expressed, exhaustedly. I used all my energy when Rick first woke up, I saw him before Carol and everyone else did. Michonne had been a witness to the other side of me, I once showed back on the farm.

I was pissed. I was fighting so hard to be here. Now I may be losing my own brother cause of his actions. When I said Rick could handle Pete I didn't mean to get into a fight with him, then wave a gun around at innocent people. I couldn't even work out how he even got it that was until I overheard his conversation with Carol. Let me tell you, the next time it's just her and I, shell be getting an earful just like Rick did, and I'll be making sure Daryl never got one either the moment he gets back. "Hello, earth to Valentina, are you listening to me?" I hear Vanessa question as she waved her hands around in my face to get my attention. "I'm sorry Ness, I got lost in my thoughts." I apologised, the moment I realised I had zoned out. "It's fine Valley, I get it. You've got a lot on your plate. You know you can still confide in me, I'm still your best friend, or have I been replaced by the new man?" Vanessa joked, nudging me lightly. I laughed, although she knew Daryl's name she stilled called him that. "No, no, you're still my best friend believe me I've been waiting to have girl talk with you." I laughed.

"So your brother has changed a lot since the last time I saw him. Especially how he is now, that's not how I remembered him to be." Vanessa commented, changing the subject.

"I know, I guess that's just the price to pay after being through all that we have been, the time on the road didn't help either."

"I get that, trust me Levi and I hadn't always been together, but after everything we've been through that lead us here to Alexandria we saw a different side of each other. One thing just led to another."

"Oh god, that made me think of Daryl and I." I laughed, hearing her chuckle in return. "Speaking of which I still haven't heard much about Mr Mystery. Are you gonna spill the beans?" Vanessa questioned, raising an eyebrow with a curious look. I giggled at her, missing these times, I was happy I finally got to have it again. "so?" Vanessa pressed, nudging me.

"Alright, alright I'll tell you." I replied with a laugh, throwing my hands up in the air in defeat. "I met him at the beginning of all of this, back in Atlanta. Thought Rick was dead. I was with Carl, Lori, and Shane back then. Shane had asked me if I wanted to be with him again, only a few days after the camp had been set up. I never really gave him a complete answer, but a couple days after that Daryl and his brother showed up, joined our group."

"I won't lie I may or may not had flirted with Daryl every time I spoke to him. And let me tell you I always made sure to talk to him."

"Let me guess Shane wasn't happy about that was he?"

"No, Shane only ever wanted me for himself." I looked around for a moment making sure Carl wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Besides he was messing around with Lori, even while he started to see me again. Whole point why I didn't want to date him ever again." I saw the shock take over Vanessa's expression. "Yep I know." I laughed lightly, taking in her reaction. "So then what happened?"

"Oh a lot. Shane was beating me profusely, I couldn't understand why. There were moments that Daryl saw the aftermath. He always checked on me, used to threaten Shane because of it. I wasn't sure if Daryl felt the same way as I did with him, so I went back to Shane. Something I regret doing. It wasn't anything serious, I just hadn't realised my true feelings yet."

"Besides it didn't last long, caught him with Lori one day, we blew up into an argument, I told him I wanted nothing to do with him. Shane accused me of sleeping around with Daryl a lot after that, we had to be on the road after our camp got over run one night became too dangerous to stay. Daryl just began to really care for me, he was completely different with me when no one else was around. Even pulled me in for a kiss when it had just been us. Since then we sort of just let each other realise how we felt. Only Shane was still in the picture."

"One night after a fight with Daryl, I had walked off to clear my head. We weren't even together yet, but I thought I was getting somewhere with him. Only that night Shane spotted me, just about killed me. He had raped me, and if it hadn't been for Daryl I don't even know if I would still be here. Rick was pissed when he found out what Shane did that night."

"for a while after that Daryl and I snuck around, I was terrified of what Rick would think. I went from one best friend to the next. Who knew what he would of thought. Daryl and I started to date, although we still hid it from Rick and as many people that we could. Some caught on, I was surprised that Rick never worked it out, especially when my bump first started to grow, and the beginning of my pregnancy symptoms. Although even I didn't connect the dots with me being pregnant, I probably would've worked that out sooner if I just let myself believe there was a possibility."

"Well you two definitely have been through a lot, by the sounds of it all of you have. I'm so sorry Val, I wish I went looking for you when this all began, just Levi found Ellie and I, practically saved us from a herd."

"Jesus Ness, I never knew. As for looking for me, Ellie was your priority. I always knew that. She's your little sister after all."

"I wouldn't let her hear you say that." Vanessa laughed.

"Oh jeez, she would be what 21 by now wouldn't she?"

"Yep, she's not so little anymore. You definitely would have gotten a punch for that." With that comment we both burst out laughing. I hadn't laughed so hard in years. It was cause of Shane why I saw Vanessa so little. I wished I never let him stop me from seeing my best friend. It was stupid of me to believe he had my best interest all those years ago. "Speaking of Ellie, I don't think I've seen her around, where is she?" I questioned, as we both finally settled down. "Oh yeah you definitely wouldn't have, she's been out on a run with a group, she should be back at some point but who knows when that will actually be."

"Well I hope that will be soon." I laughed.

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