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Safe Haven in the Chaos	By : IdrilsSecret Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 6517 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the walking dead or any of the characters. No money is being made from the writing of these stories

Chapter List
- 74
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Chapter 76 Winter’s End

It wasn’t often that Daryl got to sleep in in the morning. It was by choice that he got up at the crack of dawn most days. Since moving back in with Aaron, Daryl took it upon himself to be the morning guy and help Gracie get breakfast ready. She absolutely loved to cook, and she was actually pretty good at it. Daryl had made plenty of breakfasts for himself when he was growing up. Most of the time, his father never came home the night before, and his mother slept until noon every day. So Daryl knew a thing or two. This also gave him the chance to get to know Gracie better, and she him. However, today Aaron insisted that Daryl take the morning for himself, while he took over the usual routine for a change. Daryl didn’t put up much of an argument and let Aaron have his way.

The sun was up, and Daryl couldn’t sleep anymore. Besides, the smell of burnt toast invaded his nostrils, and made his stomach growl. Yes, he was one of those people who liked it when his toast was dark, and right not the scent notified him that breakfast was about ready.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and winced as his toes touched the cold floor. The weather was still chilly, although it would start warming up soon. Winter was trying its damnedest to hang on. He was glad for it, because once the weather started to warm, it would be time for the communities to start executing their latest plans for defending themselves against a Whisperer attack. Daryl didn’t want to think about that yet. He just wanted to enjoy his new life with Aaron and the kids.

Never in a million years would he have imagined living this life. He had the man he loved by his side, and two girls, Gracie and Lydia. He was living in a beautiful big home inside a protected community, surrounded by some of the strongest, most fearless people he’d ever known. But it wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops. A terrible enemy lurked in the shadows and kept everyone on edge. As of now, the tension shared by the community was low, but there was always an underlying current. Lydia told them how her mother, Alpha, took her people and their herd, and traveled south in the winter months. That wasn’t to say there weren’t any scouts around keeping an eye on the communities. They couldn’t be sure, but they believed it to be the truth. Daryl and the group from the Kingdom had crossed onto Whisperers territory when they fought through a snowstorm to get everyone safely to Hilltop. They had waited for some kind of retribution for breaking Alpha’s rules, but none came. It was still in the backs of everyone’s minds that it might be a problem once it warmed up and Alpha came back. They would just have to wait and see.

Daryl got dressed and went to the bedroom window, separated the curtains and looked out. It had snowed during the night, leaving a light dusting across Alexandria. He glanced down to the street below and noticed foot tracks where the nightshift guards must have traded out for the dayshift. This gave Daryl an idea. He hurried downstairs, and found everyone sitting in the kitchen getting ready for breakfast.

“What’s on the menu this morning?” he asked as he descended the stairs.

Aaron was at the stove, and turned to smile at him over his shoulder. “Good morning sleepyhead,” he greeted playfully.

“Good morning, Daryl,” Gracie sang after her father.

Lydia barely looked up from her plate. “Hey,” she said without enthusiasm.

Daryl had a seat next to Lydia, and across from Gracie. Aaron brought him a plate of eggs and toast. He smiled at Aaron and gave him a wink. “Looks delicious.”

“I made the toast,” Gracie announced.

“Just the way I like it,” Daryl smiled at her.

“You’re the only person on this earth that likes burnt toast,” Lydia complained. “Thanks to you, Gracie makes everyone’s toast the way you like it.”

“Hey,” said Gracie, taking offence.

“Don’t listen to her,” Daryl intervened. “She’s just being a sourpuss this morning.” He bumped Lydia with his shoulder. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing,” Lydia responded, pushing her eggs around with her fork.

“She’s mad that she has to go to school with me,” Gracie disclosed without permission.

Lydia glared at her a moment, but let it go quickly. “I’m not mad. I just don’t see the point,” she complained.

Daryl and Aaron had learned that, due to the end of the world, Lydia never had any proper education and she couldn’t read. They discovered this when they came home one evening to find Gracie reading a book to Lydia.

“It’s important to know these things, even now,” said Aaron, as he took a seat across from her.

“I’ve gotten this far without having to read,” said Lydia.

“Like Aaron said, it’s still important,” Daryl pointed out, taking a big bite of eggs.

“I don’t understand why you don’t just teach me,” Lydia complained to Daryl. “It’s so awkward sitting in a classroom with kids Gracie’s age.”

“First of all, I don’t have the time. Second, I don’t have the patience.”

“What about Aaron?” Lydia asked looking at him.

“I would if I could, but it’s like Daryl said. I don’t have the time. Besides, you have a real teacher, and I’m sure she can do a better job than me or Daryl.”

“How’s your weapon coming along?” Daryl asked to change the subject.

“Earl said it’s ready, and he would send it along with the next supply shipment to Alexandria. I’m excited to start using it.”

When everyone arrived at Hilltop earlier in the winter, Carol had given Lydia Henry’s stick, the same one Morgan had carved for Henry’s brother, Benjamin. Carol knew how much Lydia and Henry had meant to each other, and she knew Lydia would get the most use out of it. Daryl had suggested that she make the weapon hers, even though it represented Henry. So, she went to Earl, Hilltop’s blacksmith. After discussing different ideas, they came up with the ultimate weapon. Earl was making one end of the stick into nunchucks.

“I’ve never used nunchucks before, though I can swing a stick,” Lydia mentioned.

“I wish Morgan was still with us. He was a master at Aikido. He could have taught her all his moves with that stick,” said Aaron to Daryl.

“Unfortunately, Aikido wouldn’t teach her how to kill the enemy,” said Daryl with a mouthful of eggs and toast.

“Can we not get into the subject of killing,” said Aaron, glancing at Gracie.

“There’s a group of people who say Morgan started to teach them some skills before he bounced. They still meet and practice. I thought I’d ask if I could join them once I have my weapon.” Lydia stood and took her plate to the sink.

“That’s a good idea,” Aaron commented with a smile.

“Hold up with that,” Daryl stopped her. “Don’t let food go to waste. I’ll eat what you didn’t.” Lydia scraped the rest of her eggs into Daryl’s plate. He watched her as she made her way over to the sink again. “You better get going or you’ll be late for class,” he warned.

Gracie was finished with her breakfast too. She climbed down from her stool and carried her plate to the sink. Daryl watched her use the stepstool that Jesus had made her. He took a moment to remember the man who he had disliked, but also respected. Jesus could have taught Lydia his martial arts moves if he was still alive. So many good people with useful skills were gone. It was a shame really.

“Come on, Gracie. Let’s get you dressed,” Lydia called to her. They went upstairs leaving Aaron and Daryl alone for a change.

Aaron was finished and went to the sink to start cleaning up. Daryl took the last few bites of his breakfast, and sat and watched Aaron a moment, appreciating what he had, how lucky he was to have it. He slid from his stool, and prowled over to Aaron, coming up behind him, and leaned against his back. He buried his face in Aaron’s neck and growled as he laid kisses there. It made Aaron squirm and smile.

“What’s this about?” asked Aaron, as he kept rinsing the dishes.

“I was just appreciating my man for letting me sleep in.” Daryl sucked Aaron’s earlobe between his teeth, and felt goosebumps break out over his skin.

“Mmm, I should let you sleep in more often.” Aaron turned off the water and spun around to face Daryl. They kissed, tongues slipping, hands roaming. Aaron’s hand slid down and squeezed Daryl’s ass.

“Better hold up a minute. The girls are still home,” Daryl warned.

“You started it,” Aaron reminded him.

“I did, didn’t I?” Daryl seemed proud of himself. “Maybe I’ll let you finish it.”

Aaron gazed into Daryl’s eyes, finding them dark with desire. “Girls!” he yelled. “Five more minutes!”

Daryl laughed and kissed Aaron’s throat, licking a trail to his jawline. He ended with a kiss to Aaron’s pouty lips.

“Oh God, they’re at it again,” said Lydia as she came down the stairs. “Gracie, hurry up!” she called up to the second floor. She immediately went to the front door to wait.

Gracie came skipping down the stairs. She went to Aaron first, and hugged him. Then she hugged Daryl, and smiled up at both of them. “Bye.”

“Have a good day at school,” Aaron told her. “You too, Lydia.” That earned him an eye roll.

“Watch out for each other,” Daryl told them. Both men watched the girls leave the house.

Aaron was immediately assaulted by Daryl’s quick hands, finding them roaming over his chest, around the back of his neck, and down his back to end on his ass. Daryl returned the fondling that Aaron gave him earlier. “You really are a beast this morning, aren’t you,” Aaron laughed.

“You haven’t seen the beast yet. This is just a teaser.”

“Can I finish the dishes first?” Aaron asked.

“No.” Daryl grabbed Aaron by the waist and pushed him to the stairs. “Upstairs, now.”

They hurried to their bedroom, and striped one another of their clothes. Aaron collapsed onto their bed, and Daryl followed, climbing on top of him. Their cocks rested beside each other as they ravished one another with wanton kisses and busy hands. Aaron passed Daryl the lube so he could prepare them. In another moment, Daryl was filling Aaron, thrusting deep, both men moaning in pleasure. Neither one lasted long, but it was Aaron who came first, spilling between their bodies. Daryl watched his face, and the pure ecstasy it portrayed as he found his pleasure.

“You’re beautiful when you come,” Daryl told him, and then he lightly bit his shoulder as he thrust deep and steadied himself. Daryl came next, back arched, ass clenched, body rigid as his orgasm traveled through him from head to toes. He looked down to find Aaron watching him, lips parted in awe of his wonderful, sexy man.

After a few moments, Daryl came to rest at Aaron’s side. They took their time regaining their senses. Neither one needed to be anywhere urgently. It was an easy day today. If they wanted to, they could probably have spent more time in each other’s arms, between the warm sheets, at least until it was time for the girls to return in a couple hours.

“I got an idea earlier this morning,” said Daryl, breaking the silence. “I want to start teaching Gracie to track.”

“Don’t you think she’s a little young yet?” Aaron wondered.

“At her age, I was already hunting rabbits and skinning them myself.”

“You didn’t have much of a childhood, did you? At her age, I was watching cartoons on Saturday mornings. That is until my mother started making me take roller skating lessons. I hated it. Nine o’clock every Saturday when my favorite show Spiderman was on, I was forced to skate around a roller rink. It’s not like I didn’t know how to skate, but my mother said skating on regular basis would make me manlier. That and eating applesauce.”

“Your mother was a very confused woman,” Daryl commented.

“She had her moments.”

“Back to the subject,” Daryl interjected. “So what do you say? I mean, there’s no Saturday morning cartoons to keep her from. And the weather is warming.”

“You want to take my daughter out to the forest and start teaching her to track?” Aaron said, unconvinced. “My eight year old daughter?”

Daryl turned on his side to face Aaron. “I want to take our daughter just outside the walls and show her how to find a rabbit trail in the snow. The forest? Are you kidding me?” he complained lightly.

Aaron cupped Daryl’s face and drew him in for a kiss. When the separated, Aaron was gazing at him with total compassion. “What?” Daryl asked.

“You … you called her our daughter.” A tear came to Aaron’s eye. “That’s the first time you’ve called her that.”

Daryl looked away bashfully. “I know I haven’t yet, but I’ve been getting to know her, and it … it feels like she’s mine too.”

“She is yours. She’s both of ours.” Aaron pushed Daryl back into the pillows and rolled on top of him. “God I love you so damn much.”

“So can I teach her?” Daryl asked again.

“Of course. How wonderful will it be for the two of you to spend some real quality time together? She’s going to be the best damn tracker in the east,” said Aaron excitedly.

“And I want you to spend some time getting to know Lydia a little better too. I know it’s different with her, and I don’t think she thinks of us as her dads, but she still needs the guidance. She’s still struggling to fit in around here. Not everyone has been kind to her.”

“I’ve noticed that too. Yeah, I’ll hang with her. Lydia’s a good kid. She deserves to be here.” Aaron continued to gaze lovingly upon Daryl.

“So, are you going to do something or are you just going to lay on top of me like a paperweight?” Daryl teased.

“Hmm. Well, what would you like me to do?” Aaron asked with an impish grin.

“I think by now you don’t have to ask,” said Daryl, and he pulled Aaron down for another sultry kiss.

>>------->

Daryl walked to the classrooms and met Gracie and Lydia outside. Lydia seemed concerned when she saw Daryl. “What’s up? Did something happen?” she asked.

“Everything’s good. I came to see if Gracie wanted to help me track rabbits,” said Daryl.

“Really?” Gracie sang with surprise, and Daryl gave a nod.

“You can come with us if you want,” he said, inviting Lydia.

“Naw. That’s okay. You two have your fun. I’m going home.”

“Aaron’s there. You should hang with him for a bit. Get to know him better,” Daryl suggested.

“I don’t know. He’s nice and all, but I don’t know what to talk about with him. He’s from a different world than me … than us.”

“Yeah, I know. Guess that’s why we’re together. Opposites attract.” Daryl didn’t ignore the fact that she grouped her and him as having similar backgrounds. It was true, though. Both Daryl and Lydia came from abusive messed up families. Both had struggled to fit in and find their way. Lydia was still in the midst of struggling. “You wanna break the ice? Ask him about roller skating. Better yet, ask him about his fondness for applesauce.” Daryl laughed to himself, since those were Aaron’s two main pet peeves.

Lydia gave him a skeptical eye. “Weird, but okay.” She reached out and roughed up Gracie’s hair. “See ya later squirt.”

Daryl couldn’t help but think about Caleb after witnessing the exchange between Lydia and Gracie. Daryl used to do the same thing to Caleb sometimes. “Hey,” he called our before Lydia got too far. She turned and looked at him. “Remind me later to tell you about someone I used to know.”

“Sure,” she answered, and went on her way.

Daryl watched her a moment before turning to Gracie. “You ready?”

“Yep. Let’s go catch a rabbit.”

“You got it, Elmer Fudd,” Daryl said in return, earning him a scowl from Gracie.

“Who is that?” she asked.

“Wow. We gotta find you some comics or something.”

Outside the gates, there was an area not far where Daryl had seen a trail. It was fairly open, and he could easily keep watch while teaching Gracie about tracking. He would always make sure they weren’t in danger of walkers when outside the walls.

“You see this?” he asked pointing to a rabbit trail. “See how there’s no snow, and the grass it flattened along here?”

“Is that from a rabbit?” Gracie asked.

“Yep. Probably more than one. They use the same trail, and it pushes the grass down. This is one of the easiest trails to spot. So what we want to do is set a trap right through here.”

“What kind of trap?”

“It’s called a snare,” said Daryl as he rummaged through his pack. He pulled out two pieces of wire, and handed one to Gracie. “First thing we do is make a slip-knot loop.” He curled the wire around his finger and twisted it. Gracie watched with intensity and copied his movements. He had to help her, but she got it. “Now we take the other end and put it through the loop,” he explained. Gracie got it the first time. “See this big circle? This is what’s going to catch the rabbit, but first we need something to attach it to, and it has to be strong enough to hold the rabbit once he’s caught.”

Gracie immediately started looking and picked up a big stick. “Can you use this?”

“We can, but we have to hammer it into the ground. What can we use to do that?” He wasn’t just teaching her. He was showing her, and making her think for herself.

Gracie looked around the area, and pick up a large rock. “What about this?”

“Perfect. Now we need to find just the right spot along the rabbit trail where the wire won’t be too noticeable.”

She set the rock down and walked alongside the trail until she reached an area where it went into some tall dead grass. “This seems like a good place,” she announced.

“Looks good to me. You get that stick and I’ll get the rock,” he told her. “Okay, we’re going to set this up right here, and use this grass as cover.”

“Can I hammer the stick in the ground?” asked Gracie excitedly.

“Sure thing. How about I hold the stick for you this time?”

Gracie gave a nod and waited for Daryl to put the stick in the right place. Then she started hitting the top of the stick as hard as she could. It was a big feat for her, but she was giving it her all. Once the stick in the ground enough that it wouldn’t fall over, Daryl switched places with her, and he finished hammering it into the ground. Then he showed her how to attach the wire to the stick, and to leave the loop hanging in the center of the trail. They used a smaller stick to keep the wire off the ground several inches, and Daryl explained why.

“It needs to be at the right height so that the rabbit’s head goes right through without him noticing.”

“What happens then?” she asked.

Daryl wasn’t sure she would like hearing this part. Most little girls thought of rabbits as cute, cuddly, fluffy little bundles of fur. “Well, when the rabbit realizes it’s caught, his first instinct is going to be to pull and try to get away.” He put his fist through the loop and pulled so she could see what would happen. “But the harder he pulls, the tighter the wire gets until . . .” Here he stuck his tongue out and rolled his eyes up while gesturing with his hand, making it seem he was pulling a rope around his neck like a noose strangling him.

“So, the rabbit dies,” Gracie answered nonchalantly.

Daryl stopped making the silly gesture and looked at her. “That doesn’t bother you?”

“Why would it? Rabbits are food just like deer or wild pigs. We need them to survive.”

“You’re absolutely right.” Daryl smiled at her. “I think you’re gonna make a good hunter someday.”

“Does that mean you’ll teach me how to use your bow?” she asked.

“Well, let’s stick to making traps for now. When you’re a little older I’ll teach you.”

Gracie looked disappointed, but only briefly. Then she shrugged her shoulders. “That’s okay. I can wait.”

They finished setting the snare, and Daryl explained how they would need to leave it alone for a day so that the rabbits would come back. “If we check the trap all the time, we’ll scare them away.”

“Makes sense,” said Gracie. “What’s next?”

Daryl stood and looked around. “We can’t go too far or your daddy will kill me, but let’s look for more tracks. I’ll teach you how to identify different animals.”

Daryl and Gracie walked along a dirt path, watching the ground for signs of deer prints. Daryl told her what to look for and he spent his time watching the surrounding area for stray walkers.

“Daryl?” Gracie asked after they hadn’t found anything in a while.

“Yeah?” he answered, eyes trained on a nearby tree line.

“Who is the person you’re going to tell Lydia about?”

“What?” he said, and he turned his eyes to her for a moment in confusion.

“You told Lydia to remind you to tell her about someone you once knew.”

Daryl remembered. “Oh. Well, I used to know someone, a boy who was about the same age Lydia is now.”

“Was he your son?” Gracie asked curiously.

“Naw, but I guess he was like a son. His name was Caleb.”

“What happened to him?” Gracie crouched down to look at an indent in the snow.

“He died,” Daryl answered somberly. He realized how many years had passed by since then. Caleb would have been about twenty five by now. It was difficult for him to imagine the boy being a man if he had still been around.

“How did you meet him?”

“Your daddy and I were out looking for survivors to bring back to Alexandria and we happened upon him. He’d been taken by some very bad people, but we helped him. He helped us too, and we all escaped the bad men and brought Caleb to Alexandria. He became a very important part of the community.”

“Did he get bit and turn?” Gracie wondered, standing up when she discovered that the imprint in the snow wasn’t made by a deer. Daryl watched over her shoulder and knew it was just a place where the snow had melted into a pocket of leaves and rocks.

“He was shot and died.” Daryl answered. That had been a horrible time in his life. Not only had he lost Caleb, but he lost Aaron too. And then Daryl lost himself. He was lost for many years.

“Daryl?” Gracie addressed him again.

“Yeah?”

“Did you know my daddy? My real daddy?”

“No, I didn’t.” He wondered what Aaron had told her about her real father. Daryl had been there, had seen what happened to the man after Rick got done with him. At the time, Daryl didn’t give a shit. The man was a Savior and as far as he was concerned, got what he deserved. It was difficult to think about it now. The baby that Rick carried out of the outpost was now a part of his own family. It was strange how the world worked. “What do you know about him?”

“Daddy said he died trying to protect me because he loved me more than life itself.”

Daryl got on his knees so that he was eye level with her. “I’m sure he was a very brave man. Unfortunately, his time was cut short.” There was nothing else Daryl could say to her. He would never reveal the truth about what happened the day Gracie’s father was killed, and the fact that she now lived with the group who killed him. This made Daryl wonder how Rick felt whenever he saw Gracie, knowing he’d been the one who killed her father. It had been a violent, unforgiving war with the Saviors. If you didn’t kill your enemy, they would kill you. Rick fought for his life when he found Gracie’s father in that outpost. Of course, he and Daryl thought the man was trying to keep them from finding weapons. No one could have known that it was a baby behind that door, and not the guns they were looking for.

“I don’t remember him,” Gracie said. “I was just a baby. I don’t know much about where I came from. Laura said my mother died when I was born, and my real daddy took me to a safe place. When he died, Rick found me and then daddy Aaron took me to Alexandria and adopted me.”

“You know what I’ve learned over the years? It’s not so much about where you came from, but where you are and where you’re going. You’ve got the world’s best daddy now, and he loves you very much. You’re a lucky little girl.”

“Are you sad that I call you Daryl and not daddy or dad or some other name?” she asked with all sincerity.

“Of course not. The way I see it, Aaron is your daddy, and I’m just Daryl. That’s fine with me.”

Gracie came up to him and threw her arms around him. “I’m glad you’re with us now. And I’m glad Lydia is with us too.”

“So am I,” Daryl said, hugging her in return.

>>------->

Aaron had been to a meeting to discuss the next step towards safety from the Whisperers threat. They had been informed that Hilltop was in the midst of making spears, knives and protective gear. Eugene had helped Earl design it, as well as referring to books about medieval warfare and maneuvers. Maggie had sent the books a few years ago, when she first left the Hilltop to join a new community run by a woman called Georgie. They hadn’t heard from Maggie in a very long time, but they hoped to hear from her soon, since the three communities still sent her letters to keep her informed.

As Aaron walked outside, he saw Lydia and Gracie exit the nearby classroom. Daryl was there to meet Gracie, and after a few words with the girls, Daryl headed off with her, leaving Lydia on her own. Aaron thought about what Daryl asked him to do, and decided now was a good time.

“Hey Lydia,” Aaron called to her.

She looked up and waved quickly, then went back to her solitary position of watching the ground before her as she walked away. Aaron quickened his pace and caught up to her. “Where you headed?” he asked.

“Home. Why?”

“Want to grab a bite to eat from the kitchen? I smelled fresh bread baking earlier. There’s nothing better than fresh baked bread.” He smiled and gestured toward the building that housed the fire oven.

Lydia considered him a moment, then she looked over toward a couple boys. Aaron noticed them laughing as they looked at her. Lydia turned back to Aaron and shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I think I just want to go home.”

“Everything all right?” he asked, eyes still watching the boys across the yard. When they noticed Aaron glaring at them, they stopped laughing and went in a different direction. “Are those boys giving you a hard time?” He waited for her to answer, but she ignored him and kept walking. “I know Daryl is your go to, but you can talk to me too. I’m all ears.”

Lydia stopped and glared at him with a frown and no emotion. “I appreciate it, but I’m just going to go back to the house.”

Aaron rushed to keep up with her. “I’ll go with you. My meeting is over, and I’ve got nowhere else to be right now.”

“Suit yourself,” she replied.

They got home, and Aaron opened the door for her. Lydia walked in, tossed her books on the dining room table, and went to the kitchen. “We got anything to eat in this place?” she said, sounding annoyed.

“We got peanut butter. Not sure what else is in there. I haven’t had a chance to run to the store this week,” Aaron joked, but he got no response from Lydia. “Tough crowd,” he mumbled to himself.

“What?” she asked when she heard him speak.

“Nothing.” Aaron entered the kitchen and had a seat at the island. “How was school today?”

Lydia turned and glared at him. “Really?”

Aaron shrugged and slumped his shoulders. “Just making small talk.”

“I hate small talk,” she said.

“Yeah, so does Daryl.” Aaron stood and went to the fridge. It was a sad sight inside, but there was beer. He took a bottle, stood there a moment and grabbed a second one. Then he offered it to Lydia.

“Are you serious right now?” she asked in shock.

“Don’t tell me you never shared a beer with Daryl.”

Lydia stared at the brown bottle a moment. She considered Aaron a second moment, and then snatched the bottle out of his hand as though he was about to renege on his offer. “I’ve had beer before, but not with Daryl. I asked him once, but he said no.”

Aaron was surprised, and also a felt little guilty for going against Daryl’s rules. “We’ll keep it between us then.” Aaron dug a bottle opener out of a drawer, popped the cap on Lydia’s bottle and then did his. She started to take a sip and he stopped her. “Wait. Wait. First a toast. Here’s to . . .” He paused to think something up. “Here’s to first time sharing a beer together.” He clinked his bottle against Lydia’s, noticing that she made no effort to tap back. Then he smiled and took a swig.

Lydia considered Aaron a moment, huffed and shook her head. “You’re kind of a goof, aren’t you?”

“So I’ve been told. It’s my downfall. I get silly when I try too hard. It’s gotten me punched a time or two.”

Lydia took a drink, then she had a seat across from Aaron. She took another drink and set the bottle on the island. “Why are you being nice to me? Not that you’ve ever not been nice. Actually, you’ve been really welcoming. I appreciate that.”

Aaron nodded toward her as he tipped his bottle in her direction. “I feel like we haven’t spent too much time together.”

“That’s because we haven’t. I mean, it’s okay and all. I know you’re busy with the counsel and Gracie … and Daryl.” She picked up the bottle cap and flipped it between her fingers.

“So, let’s change that. What kind of stuff do you like to do?” asked Aaron.

“I don’t know. I haven’t done much of anything since coming here. I don’t really have any friends. They’re all dead.” She grabbed her bottle harshly and drank deep.

Aaron hadn’t realized it before, but the first people Lydia had made friends with all ended up on Alpha’s pikes. She’d had a lot of trauma in her life, first with her abusive mother, and then from the loss of her friends, including Henry, at the hands of her psychotic mother. It made Aaron think about Caleb. “I used to know someone … someone very close to me. He was about your age when I first met him. His name was Caleb. He was like a son to me. Poor kid had been through some really rough shit.” Aaron paused to see if he’d gained her interest.

“What kind of shit?” she asked.

“Well, Daryl and I were out scouting when we first saw him. We were looking for new recruits, and we followed his trail. It led us to a group, a really nasty group of men, who had taken Caleb. Of course, we couldn’t leave him with those assholes. Daryl had a run in with them once, long before I met him, and he knew the kind people they were. So we devised a plan, which I screwed up, and we ended up getting captured. Long story short, we got away and we took Caleb with us. Unfortunately, some of those men had inflicted their torture upon Caleb before we could get to him in time. But, my point is, Caleb mastered his fears. He worked his way through all the grief and the bad memories. It didn’t happen overnight, and it never left him completely, but he figured out how not to let it rule over him.”

“What happened to Caleb?” Lydia asked when Aaron was done with his story.

“He was shot. I don’t know if it was intentional or accidental. We were preparing to fight another community, and we came upon a couple stragglers from their outpost. A gun went off, and Caleb, who was sitting in my car, caught the bullet in the head. That was the same day I found . . .” Aaron stopped himself. Only a few people that were there that day knew how they found Gracie.

“What did you find?” Lydia asked, curious about Aaron’s story.

“I … uh … I found out that Daryl wasn’t the same person that I’d met. He was at the beginning stages of a downward spiral. That was the day we split up. It would be years later before we saw each other again.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t something he’d expected to share with her, especially when they were just getting to know each other.”

“I watched my mother take that same nosedive into darkness. Unlike Daryl, she’s still there. She thrives in it. It’s who she is. I think it’s who she’s always been. When the world died, she found her calling and was reborn.”

“Yeah, well, you can see why Daryl refused to give you back to them, to the Whisperers. It killed him to watch you willingly go back to them the first time. He didn’t talk about it, and we weren’t together at the time, but I could see the pain it caused him.”

“I’m sorry I did that to him, but I was trying to keep you all safe. I’d seen the Hilltop, saw what it was like to live in a normal society. I didn’t want my mom to hurt any more of you. Then she ended up killing a bunch of you because of me.” Lydia stopped and stood from the stool. “Look, I get the meaning behind Caleb’s story, but he didn’t have people looking at him with suspicion, making fun of him, treating him like he was the enemy, and the cause of everyone’s pain and distrust. That’s what I have to live with every day. I’m the girl whose mother killed their friends and loved ones.”

“Not everyone is like that,” Aaron started to argue.

“If it had been Daryl’s head on one of those pikes, would we be having this conversation right now? Or would you be like those boys in the yard after school? Maybe you would be like Alden or Laura, ready to knock me down and lock me up.” Lydia’s pain was prominent as she spoke.

Aaron stood and moved to the end of the island. “If it had been Daryl, I would be devastated right now, but I would still be here talking with you, and trying to make you see that all those horrible things that happened weren’t your fault.”

“That’s easy to say when it’s all hypothetical,” she challenged, not believing what he was trying to get across.

“Your mother, she probably hit you, constantly told you how unworthy and weak you were, and blamed you whenever something went wrong. None of it was your fault. It was all her. She’s a sick individual.” Aaron moved toward Lydia until he stood before her. “But she did one thing right. She brought you into the world. All I see is a bright, intelligent, fearless young woman who is going to leave her mark. Those people who make fun of you, they’re scared. They lack self-confidence. The ones that look down on you, they’re still grieving and they don’t know how to let go. It’s not right and it’s not fair, but you have to tell yourself that you’re the strong one.” Aaron stood where he was and watched for her reaction, but all she did was look at the floor. “I know a thing or two about being treated bad. Most of my life I’ve had to defend who I am, and my lifestyle. People used to look down on me too, just because I’m gay. You have to stay strong, and stay true to yourself. You have to know you won’t be able to change everyone’s minds so you avoid the haters and find the people who accept you.” Aaron paused when he realize he was starting to preach, but it was an important topic to him. It always had been. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get into such a heavy conversation with you. I really just wanted to get to know you better, and to let you know that I’m here for you, for whatever you need. But I’ll understand if you’re more comfortable talking to Daryl. You live here now. You’re a part of this family. I never want you to feel like an outsider around here.”

Lydia finally looked up and forced a smile. “Thanks, Aaron. I appreciate that.”

Aaron moved to the side so he wasn’t blocking her way. “Were you leaving, or do you want to sit and we can finish our beers while getting to know each other better?”

Lydia was considering her options. Eventually, she took a step backwards and sat down again, picking up her beer and taking another drink. Aaron did the same and started with questions. “So … likes? Dislikes? Any opinion on that?”

She seemed like she was finally beginning to relax a bit. “I think I’m still learning. Up until recently I never had any choices to make. My mother dictated my entire life.”

“It’ll take some getting used to, but just remember, I’m around if you need me. Daryl too.” Aaron gave her a smile and took a sip of his beer. Lydia did too, and they spent the rest of the time getting better acquainted.

>>------->

It was evening, and Aaron and Daryl were getting ready for bed. Daryl sat at the edge of the mattress and removed his shoes. Then he shed his pants and shirt, and closed his eyes while sighing deep. For the first time in a very long time, he felt at peace. He couldn’t remember a time when he felt more so. Still, in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help think this was just the calm before a Whisperer storm. Alpha was still out there somewhere, and when the weather warmed, she would be back. Soon the communities would have to start practicing their maneuvers. If another war was on its way, they would need to be prepared to fight differently than they ever had in the past. It was much more dangerous fighting Whisperers than any enemy they face off with before.

The bathroom door opened, and Aaron emerged wearing nothing but a short towel that barely wrapped around his waist. Where his hand held it together, the split exposed the side of Aaron’s hip. He saw Daryl looking at him. “We’re out of the big bath towels,” he said.

Daryl straightened up, narrowed his eyes, and inched his forefinger, calling Aaron to him. Aaron obeyed as though he was under a warlock’s spell. He was under Daryl’s spell. That was for sure. He stood in front of Daryl.

“Come closer,” Daryl said, and Aaron took a step forward. Daryl put his arms around Aaron’s waist and pulled him close, resting his face against Aaron’s stomach. “You smell good.”

“I splashed on a little cologne just for you.”

“Where did you get cologne?” Daryl wondered.

“Found it in the pantry in the odds and ends container. I guess someone brought it back after a run.”

“So, what’s the special occasion?” Daryl asked, glancing up at Aaron.

“Can’t a man smell good for his boyfriend?” Aaron wished to touch him, but his hand was holding his towel up. “And … I took your advice and hung out with Lydia today.”

“Really?” Daryl said, sounding surprised.

“Some of the people here still treat her like an outsider and an enemy. I’ve even heard some compare her to Negan. That’s not right. She hasn’t killed anyone. She hasn’t bashed anyone’s head in with a bat. We should do something about it, have a meeting or something. I don’t know, but it’s not fair to her, and it makes her very uncomfortable,” Aaron suggested.

“I’ve noticed that too, but I don’t know how we could change people’s minds. They don’t trust her, and I don’t think they ever will. Maybe when we face off with the Whisperers, and they see her fighting with us they’ll see her differently.” Daryl buried his face in Aaron’s stomach again.

“Not to be negative, but do you really think Lydia should join the fight? She’d have to go up against her own people and her mother. You and I both know that as horribly as that woman has been to her, she’s still her mother, and that carries some weight.”

“I’ve thought about that. You know, my brother was a real dick and an asshole, but I couldn’t have fought against him, not like we’re eventually going to have to go against Alpha. Maybe you’re right, and she should sit this one out. She could be a lookout or something.”

“I’m sure we’ll find a place for her. Besides, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. My hope is that we won’t have to go up against the Whisperers at all, but I know that’s a long shot.” As Aaron spoke, Daryl gently rubbed his cheek against his stomach, and a hand slowly traveled up the back on his leg. Aaron felt himself come to life, knowing the only thing separating them was a damp towel. Aaron closed his eyes and enjoyed it.

Daryl tugged on the towel, and Aaron’s fingers opened and released it, letting it fall to the floor. Daryl leaned back and observed the naked body before him. “You’re in prime shape, aren’t you?”

“It’s all this exercise you thrust upon me.” As Aaron said the word thrust, his hips moved forward, and Daryl took his half hardened cock in his hand.

“Yeah, I’ve got something to thrust on you all right,” Daryl growled seductively. “Are the kids in bed?”

“Yes,” Aaron whispered as he gave in to the feel of Daryl’s hand bringing him to a stand.

“Is the door locked?” Daryl asked, slanted bedroom eyes looking up with hunger.

“Yes,” Aaron answered again. He watched his cock disappear into Daryl’s warm mouth, and threw his head back as he let a moan escape his lips. Daryl took him in and out, tongue caressing the sensitive underside.

Daryl enjoyed the way Aaron pulsed to life, growing harder with every lick of his tongue, every slide of his lips. He sweetly tortured him as he teased around the rim, tongue flicking over the tip. He reveled in the feel of Aaron’s hand running through his hair, and the way he held the back of his head to keep him in place. He liked Aaron to be in charge in that way, especially when he pulled Daryl’s head in, making him take the hard pulsing member deep. Daryl sucked him in, squeezed him, held him there, and caressed him. His hands kneaded the taut ass, teasing him in more sensitive places that were needing to be filled. Just when he had Aaron humming, Daryl released him, and in one swift movement, tossed him onto the bed. Aaron started to scoot up to the pillows, but Daryl grabbed his ankles and pulled him back to the end of the bed.

“On your knees,” Daryl commanded, and Aaron scrambled to obey. Daryl was ready for him, prepared them both, and started the slow ritual of driving Aaron mad with need. He teased until Aaron was begging, and then filled him unexpectedly. Daryl’s hand pushed between Aaron’s shoulder blades. Aaron knew what to do, and reached up to grab a pillow for his head, not just for support and comfort, but to cry out into as Daryl brought him around.

It was the best feeling in the world, Aaron thought, to have Daryl take him, rule over him, have complete control over every sensation that ran through his body. As Daryl set his rhythm, Aaron gave himself over, let his body relax into every thrust until he felt his desire build. Then he began matching Daryl’s thrusts, rocking back as he pushed forward for maximum prodding.

“You like that, don’t you?” Daryl whispered.

“Oh yes,” Aaron panted between thrusts.

Daryl paused. “Move up.” And together they moved forward onto the bed.

Aaron moved the pillow and laid down on it. Daryl climbed on top of him and reentered. He found his rhythm again and adjusted for the new position. Strong hands clenched Aaron’s waist, drawing his hips up, and he moaned into the comforter.

After a short while, Daryl stopped again. He slapped Aaron’s ass. “Turn over. I want to see you.”

It was Aaron’s favorite position, and Daryl knew that. He rolled onto his back, arms raised above his head, and watched Daryl move onto him, covering his body, face to face, eyes locked on each other. Aaron’s legs came up and anchored around Daryl’s waist. Daryl moved in smooth and seamlessly, not missing a beat, filling his lover again, but this time touching him in that most glorious place. Daryl watched the ecstasy wash over Aaron’s face when he went deep and steadied himself. Short hard thrusts made Aaron’s lips part, made his body writhe under him. Aaron was the most handsome man when he was lost in the throes of passion. The pure delight of his moans sent Daryl into a delirious frenzy, a need so great to please his lover as he never had before. His reward was his own pleasure building with every glorious moan that spilled from Aaron’s delectable lips. He thrust faster and deeper until they were both at the top of their passion. And then, like all the stars exploding in heaven, they both cried out as they climaxed in unison, but careful not to be too vocal. Their eyes connected, conveying the great love they had for each other, silently reassuring each other that their love would never fade.

Daryl collapsed onto Aaron, his face burying into Aaron’s neck. His hips still pumped involuntarily, the final vestiges of his orgasm releasing itself. His body calmed and relaxed, cock beginning to soften within, and his breathing regulating. He kissed the side of Aaron’s neck and whispered with warm breath. “I love you.”

“I love you so much,” Aaron confessed desperately, as though his words weren’t enough to express his true feelings. “Now and forever, I’m yours.”

“Just me and you … always,” Daryl answered.

They eventually moved to their usual positions, snuggled beneath the warm covers, Daryl spooned against Aaron’s back where he was most comfortable. The room was dark and quiet, and they felt like they were cocooned in safety.

“I wish it would stay this way,” Aaron confessed. “But I know trouble awaits us on the horizon.”

“Don’t think about that now. There’s still time. Winter isn’t finished yet,” said Daryl, keeping positive. “But your right, and it’s time for everyone to start training.”

“The Hilltop is sending a shipment this week, maybe tomorrow. We’ll have new armor and new weapons. We’ll need to come up with new maneuvers and begin training right away.” Aaron was anxious for the shipment to arrive.

“I know you’re ready to start moving forward on this, but I can’t help think it means we’ll be one step closer to another all-out war. I don’t want that,” said Daryl.

“Nobody wants that, but don’t you think it’s inevitable? Alpha isn’t going to give up easily. She says we just need to follow her rules and stick to our borders, but we haven’t done that.”

“You really think she had scouts watching us during that snow storm?” Daryl said. “I think she’s bullshitting us. They can’t have eyes on us all the time. That storm was bad. We could hardly see our own hands in front of our faces, let alone someone spying on us from a distance.”

“Well … maybe, but I’m not convinced. We just need to be prepared, that’s all I’m saying.”

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I just want to lay here with you, listen to you breathe, feel your warm skin against mine, and lock out the world until the sun rises,” Daryl confessed.

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Aaron said, and Daryl heard the smile upon his lips.

They finally drifted off to sleep, two lovers, two soulmates, bound by years of promises, and unspoken hope that tomorrow would never come.
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Safe Haven in the Chaos