VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴100

"Leah," Daryl whispers. "Look, I have to tell you something."

Leah looks over at him with a stoic face. "What?"

Daryl steps a bit closer so the man setting up the weapon in the back doesn't hear him. "There's people down there walking with the dead."

Leah tilts her head.

"My people.. Ellie's people.. Josh's," he explains.

Leah looks over to where Josh was down below fighting said walkers alongside Carver, Gerald, and a few others.

"What?" she asks again.

"I've been with Ellie since near the beginning. Her family took my people in and they became my people. Same with Josh and his sister."

"You.. You both.." Leah struggles.

"The enemy that Pope keeps talking about is Ellie's mom. Ellie doesn't know it yet and neither does Josh. Anna found them and she's with them, though. She's down there, too."

Leah scoffs out a breath. "I knew it.. You both finding me so close together.. The same area.."

"They're just here for the food. Our people back home are gonna starve without it. They got families. My kids are there. Ellie's little brother.. Leah, you can't let them die like this."

"You lied to me. Ellie lied to me," Leah mumbles to herself.

"She doesn't know it. She's not herself. Hasn't been for a long time."

The door opens and Pope announces his arrival.

The tension between Leah and Daryl was heavier than ever before. She didn't tell Pope about Daryl's confession. Daryl didn't dare tell Pope the truth.

"Where is she now?" Leah whispers.

"Ellie? She's.." Daryl makes a motion to his head. "In the clouds."

"What?"

"The meds," Daryl answers.

Leah shakes her head. "Ellie's been out of those meds for the past year. She's clean. Sober."

"She's high as hell right now," Daryl pushes.

"That's not possible. Carver and I helped her through detox last summer and.." Leah pauses and watches Pope get closer. "Sir."

"The enemy is inside the walls," he announces. "It's time to finish this once and for all."

"And El?" Leah asks.

Daryl side-eyes Pope and the older man laughs.

"I told you. The enemy is inside the walls," Pope repeats.

Leah and Daryl look at each other with fear in their eyes.

"Now.. Aim into the courtyard and fire," Pope tells the other man who questions the order. "You heard me."

"Our people are out there," Leah reminds, hurrying to Pope's side.

"I'm aware of that. And so is the enemy. We can't call them in because that would alert our enemy!"

"Enemy?" Leah asks.

Daryl knew he was talking about Josh. If he found Ellie out, clearly he had figured Josh out, too.

As Leah and Pope argue, Daryl takes out two of his knives.

"The Lord speaks through me! You don't question the Lord and you don't question me!" Pope screams.

"What have I told you about false Gods?"

Pope, Daryl, and Leah all jerk their heads to the door.

Pope's eyes widen.