ꜰᴏᴏʟ'ꜱ ᴍᴀᴛᴇ || ᴛᴡᴅ

102: ɢᴀʀʀɪᴅᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇꜱᴘᴏɴᴏꜱᴀ

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Sami didn't like that Gabriel was put on babysitting duty.

"You're lucky she and Dios trust you." Sami had said, as he sat in the back of the carriage with his head on Rosita's shoulder. He'd been stabbed in the side by Beta just the night before, and Rosita's arm had been cut open, the pair now going to Hilltop to get cleared and stitched up by the doctors, since neither's cuts had closed. 

Gabriel was holding a sleeping Coco, so gently that you'd forget he was talking about pulling out teeth and fingers the day before. 

"I want her safe." Rosita said. "Safe is here or with Sami. And since you can't even walk right now, safe is here."

"Okay." Gabriel nodded. "First time you two will be without her since she was born."

"Room for three more!" Judith yelled, as Grace, Aaron and Mary climbed in beside them.

Mary didn't look at Rosita or Sami. She just looked down. But Rosita held her hand out to her.

"I'm Rosita." She shook her hand. "This is my boy - husband, Sami."

"Mary."

"I know."

At Hilltop, Danny had been arguing with Earl and Alden at almost every turn. They wanted to just fight, fight, fight, and put that ahead of everything else. They were like the two grumpy old men in the muppets.

The Alexandrians arrived, and Danny had to stop himself from throwing himself at his brother.

"He's been stabbed in the ribs." Rosita told him, as she helped support Sami's weight as they made their way to the infirmary.

Danny ducked under his other arm, helping, as he smirked, signing to Sami. 'Another scar to add to the collection?'

"Already got a new one. Slice, right over my ribs." Sami glanced at him, chuckling. "Why's your skin so flawless?"

'Moisturizer."

Rachel had been stuck to Danny since she got back. She had crutches to help her walk, but had been trying not to use them too much. Thankfully, having stolen one of Daryl's boots, she could walk without much pain, though she looked like a cartoon. She thought it was rather funny.

But, having stayed up most of the night with Danny, talking about anything from music to Connie to what their mothers were like, she'd at some point passed out, and woke up tucked into his bed with the boots, breakfast and crutches beside the bed for her.

But she felt weird alone. Expozed. So, wolfing down her food, she practically ran downstairs, though she couldn't really, looking for Danny.

"Have you seen Danny?" She asked, as she closed the front door behind her.

"He's with his brother." Yumiko said.

Kelly turned to her. "Do you think they're dead, Rachel? Because Yumiko does."

"What? I-" Rachel was interrupted by the roar of an engine, and Daryl riding through the gate, but then, as he pulled to a stop in front of them, she noticed someone on the back.

"Daryl! Lydia!" She hopped down the steps, before running at the two, engulfing Lydia in a hug. She was alive. She was alive. 

"Missed you, too." Lydia smiled shyly as she pulled away.

"Doin' alright?" Daryl asked, pulling Rachel in for a side hug.

She nodded. "See anything?"

"Yeah." Lydia glanced at them. "My mother. She's coming. With her horde."