Too Far Gone // D. Dixon

chapter seventeen

By the time morning had rolled around, everyone seemed to be eager to get out of the house and see Alexandria. After all, if they were going to stay here, they needed to know just about everything about this place.

After getting dressed and ready for the day, Maren made her way out to the front porch. She spotted Daryl sitting against the railing, cleaning his crossbow. He seemed so focused, as if nothing else mattered but him and that crossbow. She nearly beamed at the sight.

"Should I come back another time?" Maren spoke, making Daryl look up for the first time in a while. Daryl smiled back at her and watched as she came to stand beside of him.

"Nah," Daryl spoke, almost offended she asked, "I'm just about done." Maren looked out at the street, seeing the warm Virginian sun hit the pavement. Despite her obvious apprehension, she did have to admit that this was all nice. Surreal, but nice.

The pair were interrupted by Carol, "Time to punch the clock and make the casseroles."

Daryl and Maren exchanged a confused glance as they looked back at Carol, "What?" She was dressed in such clean clothing and looked like something out of a Martha Stewart magazine. It was bizarre to the both of them, seeing her pose weak was such a stark contrast to the strong and capable woman they had come to know and appreciate.

"I'm gonna make dinner for the older people, moms who need a break, people who can't cook..." Carol paused, a misplaced smile evident on her features, "Get to meet a lot of the neighbors that way."

Daryl only scoffs, "All right," he says as he just continues to clean his bow. Maren, still interested, continued to watch Carol.

"Have you taken a shower yet?" Carol prods, Daryl just mumbles, so she speaks again, "Take a shower. I'm gonna wash that vest. We need to keep up appearances, even you."

Daryl was quick to combat that idea, rushing to speak his mind, "Hey, I ain't startin' now." 

Carol smiles as she speaks, "I'm gonna hose you down in your sleep." Maren couldn't stifle her laugh at that remark, making Daryl give her an incredulous look, as if to say we're gonna have to talk about that later. Maren only laughs louder.

Daryl, unwilling to let the woman walk away with the last word, speaks back, "You look ridiculous."

Maren laughs, watching as he finally finishes his task, "Maybe she's right."

Daryl eyes her carefully, "Oh not you, too."

Maren laughs cheekily, taking in the peaceful moment. Ah, she thought, I could get used to this. As Maren looked out again, the morning sun had began to fade into afternoon. It bathed the front porch in a warm glow as Daryl and Maren sat side by side, enjoying each other's company.

As the minutes passed, the air had changed. The events of the previous night had lingered in the air between them, a topic just waiting to be addressed.

Maren noticed how stiff Daryl had become and watched as Daryl broke their sudden silence, his words laced with a hint of vulnerability, "Listen, I ain't known for showin' so much...affection. This...last night..." He trailed off, feeling a bit out of his comfort zone, "It's new to me. My brother was the one that knew about women and this kinda stuff. But I ain't him."

Maren listened intently, her eyes filled with understanding and tenderness, "It's okay, Daryl-" she reassured him, her voice soft. 

Daryl quickly interrupted her, his voice tinged with a very out-of-character layer of self-doubt, "You're just so...good," he admitted, his eyes searching hers, "You should be with someone like that. Not someone like me who's so damn stubborn and messy."

Maren reached out, gently placing her hand on Daryl's, "First of all, you're saying I'm not stubborn and messy?" Maren laughed at that, but spoke sincerely, "Daryl, I don't care about anyone else. Just you. Fuck everybody else."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Daryl's lips, "All I'm sayin' is...maybe take it easy on the PDA," he remarked, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

Maren nodded, understanding his need for privacy, "You got it," she replied, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I'll just have to keep you all to myself then." Before she could even finish her sentence, Maren leaned in and started to kiss Daryl, their lips meeting in a lingering embrace. 

But their moment of intimacy was abruptly interrupted by the sound of yelling coming from a distance. They pulled away from each other, their hearts racing with a mixture of anticipation and concern.

"What the hell is that?" Daryl muttered, his brows furrowing in worry. Maren's gaze shifted toward the direction of the commotion, her mind racing with possibilities. They exchanged a quick but determined look, the unspoken understanding between them propelling them into action as they grabbed their weapons.

Side by side, they rose from the porch, ready to face whatever challenge awaited them, their connection unyielding in the face of uncertainty.

                                                                               - TOO FAR GONE -

When Daryl and Maren had arrived at the sounds of fighting, they watched the scene play out in front of them.

"Yeah, pretty sure you've got that backwards." Glenn scoffed, hurrying into the streets of Alexandria. Aidan seemed pissed, quickly grabbing his shoulder to turn him around. The move was so clearly aggressive, Maren swallowed as she readied herself, she knew this could get even worse.

"Look, we've got a way of doing things around here-" Aidan explained, getting in Glenn's face angrily. Maren took a offensive step forward, ready to defend her friend.

"You tied up walkers!" Glenn retorted, his voice getting louder with fury. Maren was stunned, these people had survived for so long and yet know so little about them. They had tied one up? Jesus, she thought.

"It killed our friend!" Aidan shouted, louder than Glenn this time, "Look, I'm not having this conversation. You obey my orders out there."

"Then we're just as screwed as your last run crew." Glenn spat, not moving from his spot on the Virginian pavement.

"Hey!" Maren shouted, feeling the tensions rise, "Put your dicks away, let's handle this like adults." Maren looked between Glenn and Aidan, anxious to calm the two down. Getting into a fight was not good for them.

"Say that again." Aidan challenged her, getting way too close to Glenn. He pushed him, making Maren get closer. If necessary, she'd handle him. She knew she could.

"No one's impressed, man. Walk away." Glenn spoke to him directly, lowering his voice.

"What's going on here?" Deanna asked, watching the situation between her son and Glenn closely. She could sense the tension and felt the need to intervene, but words couldn't stop this.

"This guy's got a problem with the way we do things..." Aidan spoke to his mom, "Why did you let these people in?" Maren didn't miss the venom his voice was laced with, and that angered her. He was going to be an issue, an issue they'd have to fix.

"Because we actually know what we're doing out there." Glenn spoke, watching as Aidan went to throw a punch. Glenn ducked, quickly knocking Aidan to the ground.

Maren was quick to defend Glenn, making sure Aidan stayed on the ground as she threw him down. Nicholas attempted to lunge at the girl, making Daryl grab the man by his shirt and toss him to the ground just as she had done Aidan.

Within a second, Rick had his hands on Daryl's shoulder, pulling him away from the man.

"I want everyone to hear me, okay?" Deanna announced, her voice echoing, "Rick and his people are part of this community now in all ways, as equals. Understood?"

Deanna's gaze passed over everyone, making everyone nod their heads. She clearly wasn't messing around this time, she had a stern look on her face, one that said everything her mouth hadn't. She meant business.

"Understood."