Witch Way to Life or Death

Chapter 16: Explanations

Cordelia's POV

"Follow me." I said turning around to head to my RV. "Girls go to Aunt Vi." 

"Nuh-uh!/We deserve" Hazel.

"No way! An answer too!" Heather.

"Girls. Aunt Vi. Now!" Carol gave them her 'don't question me' look. Honestly she had gotten that thing down so quick, it was kinda scary especially when it turned on you. Thank God, I haven't given her a reason for it. "You two go talk. And Cor" I turned back to her. "You need anything, just let me know." I gave her a look that said one thing and one thing only. You are not killing him. She just raised a brow at me as if to say Watch me. I rolled my eyes and we walked in.

Daryl's POV

"Want something to drink?" She fidgeted with her fingers. She always did that when she was nervous bout something.

"Nah, I'm fine. When were they born?"

"November 2, they were three weeks early." She sat on the couch and I took the seat next to her only for her to move to the far side and turn to face me, a nervous look in her eye. She ain't never been nervous round me before.

"Early?" I bit at the skin of my thumb. Wasn't babies born early sick? Were the girls? Would they be needing medicine? "They ok, though right?"

"Yea, they are. Hazel was a little touch and go for awhile though. The umbilical cord got wrapped around her neck but Dr. McCrory was great. No problems afterwards."

"Hazel the one with the pink gun that's a lil' taller?" Her lips tilted up than

"Course you would pick up on that last bit. But, yes. Hazel's the girly girl of the two while Heather's a real tomboy. Hell, Hazel would dress up as a princess every Halloween while Heather would be a biker or power ranger." She let out that sweet laugh that flowed like warm honey. "I have a few pictures, if you want to see them?"

"Yea, I'd like that a lot." She stood and walked to a little cabinet in front of us while I looked around and that's when I saw it. A picture of her in a long white dress, bouquet of flowers in her hand as a man, what them southern gentleman types would look like, having his arms around her waist in a tux. Married. She got a husband.

"Here they are!" She handed it to me, smile wide on her face.

"When'd you get married?" I looked at the picture album, trying not to show how much it hurt to know she hadn't waited. I knew it wasn't likely. Not after I left the way I did. But the way she looked at me when we'd seen each other outside, I'd hoped she still felt something, anything. Hoped there might be a chance and I wasn't sure I was willing to let her go again even knowing she was married. Could I let her and my little girls go, right after I found them? Watch them play family with some other man where I belong? Nah, I couldn't do it. I'd fight for her, for them. My family.

"You noticed the picture." I saw how she looked at it with a mixture of pain and longing. Why?

"Was I not supposed ta?" She sighed at me, putting her head into her hands.

"January 31, 2006. It was a winter wedding. Dean gave me away." She looked at me a bitter smile on her face. "I waited you know?"

"What?"

"When I couldn't find you, I waited. I waited 2 years for you to come back." Tears were filling her eyes and my mouth went dry. My heart clenching. "How long was I supposed to wait for you to come back, Daryl? I moved on. Leon was there for everything. He didn't rush me or never pushed for more than what I was ready for." Her tears started spilling. "Yes, I married him. And he gave me 3 years of happiness. He let our girls know what is was like to have a father! But never, not once! Did he try to take your place! He was there for diaper changes, teething, first steps, words, potty-training, all of it! He did that! While you went off and left me with nothing but a goddamn note and a pregnancy I wasn't ready for!"

"I ain't know you were pregnant!"

"I didn't either! That's the thing about leaving Daryl, you don't know what you lost until it's gone." He swallowed hard at that.

"Are you gone? Ain't there some way to make this right? Between us? I know you're married and this Leon. He been there when I wasn't but Cordelia I-"

"Stop. Daryl, Leon is dead. He died last year, brain tumor." She looked at me. "It may have been a year but I, I can't. Daryl, don't do this to me, not again."

"Do what?"

"Wanting to pick up where we left off before you were gone! Coming here like nothing has changed, when everything has!" he voice got higher and higher as my chest burned more with every word. "You left, Daryl! You left." she cried. "And than the next morning I got a call Grandpa died and I needed you but you weren't there! You show up 9 years later when the world ended and you look at me the way you did than. Like I'm the only girl in the world, the only one you see but Daryl you don't even know me anymore. I don't know you, anymore."

"Than we learn again. I swear to you Cordelia I ain't going nowhere. Not again. I can't lose you again. I can't. It damn near killed me to the first time."

"Then why?"

"Merle. He showed up at the apartment, beat to hell. He could barely stand. He'd gotten in some serious trouble with the wrong kinda people, worst kind. They knew I was his brother, grew up 'round some of them. Everyone in town knew I was with ya. They'd just haveta ask and they'd find you. Weren't the kind of guys that cared how they got their money back just that they did. No matter who they hurt for it. But if I wasn't with you, if I wasn't talking with you I figured they'd just think it was nothing serious. Wouldn't know how much you meant to me." I took a breath. "It worked too cause they went looking but when they found out I left they left you alone. I managed to pay 'em everything he owed but they said we ever came back they'd kill us after taking out everyone we paid just a lil' too much attention. I knew if I saw you just one more time I wouldn't be able to leave. I couldn't put ya in danger like that. I had to go. I had to keep you safe."