Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

51

Jo

Alex stepped up to the grill. "Hey Mary, would you fix each of these new folks a plate for me?"

The motherly woman smiled kindly and nodded.

I stepped up close enough to Daryl that I could feel his body heat. I pushed up on my toes to glance over Daryl's shoulder at the grill. He stiffened and looked over his shoulder. When he saw it was me he relaxed. I frowned at what I saw and met his gaze. I bumped him lightly with my shoulder twice. To anyone else it would look like an affectionate gesture, but for us once meant yes, twice meant no. I could only hope he understood what I meant. I rocked back and glanced around us again.

When I studied those wolves out west we spent most of our time studying kill sites. I was pretty good at identifying remains. I glanced once more, my mind spinning as I fought to drag up old information. I had spent my fair share of time standing over the carcasses of deer and moose as well as cows, pigs and sheep with angry ranchers out in Montana and Wyoming. Whatever they had cooking on the grill wasn't any one of those things.

Rick was also looking around from side to side and I saw when his shoulders went tense all of a sudden.

"Why do you do it?" Michonne was asking calmly. "Why do you let people in?" She was completely oblivious to what Daryl, Rick and I were doing. This was why I valued Daryl as a partner. Not only did I trust him to watch my back, but we never stopped being partners, we never stopped paying attention to what the other one was doing. Michonne was too caught up in the appearance of sanctuary to notice what was going on with Rick.

Following Rick's lead I dropped my hand to my Kukri handle but ground my teeth. Daryl had been right, if we were facing people I needed to be able to have my gun. There was no subtle way for me to reach for my gun. If this turned into a situation, and if we made it out of this I was going to have to change my set up.

I let my eyes trail over Daryl's back. I could only hope anyone watching me would assume I was staring at him ass instead of his weapon. He had his crossbow down and gripped in one hand. I watched as he subtly adjusted his grip so he could lift it quickly at the first sign of trouble.

Alex answered for Michonne, reaching for a plate as he spoke. "The more people become a part of us, we get stronger. That's why we put up the signs, invite people in. It's how we survive. Here," he said handing a plate to Carl and one to Michonne.

I hung back and was watching Rick. Something was going on in Rick's head. Now I just needed to decide if it was real or if he was as screwed up around new people as I was these days. His eyes kept ranging over the small group of people sitting at the tables, eating their lunches. Suddenly he was moving. He stalked up between Michonne and Carl and slammed the plate out of Alex's hand with one hand and reached down into Alex's pocket with another.

I moved immediately. I whirled around, taking that last step backwards so I stood back to back with Daryl. I felt him tense and move as he lifted the crossbow.

"No!" Alex yelled, holding his hands up.

Rick already had an arm wrapped around Alex's neck and his gun pressed to his head. None of us hesitated. We all drew. I snatched my hand gun. I was a beat slower than everybody else, but we had taken them by surprise so it was fine - this time. Carl backed towards Daryl and I.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick was growling at Alex.

I risked a glance at him. In Rick's free hand was the pocket watch Hershel had given Glenn.