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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
- 78
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Chapter 80 Lydia, Oh Lydia

Daryl and Aaron took their seats at Michonne’s dining room table. Judith, R.J. and Gracie were laughing and giggling as Michonne passed around the bowl of steamed potatoes. Aaron spooned some potatoes onto his plate, and passed it to Daryl. He watched the children interacting with each other and smiled. It was so good to see them behaving like children, especially after the past few days. They seemed to recover quickly, and the walker invasion was forgotten about for the moment. The herds had stopped a couple days ago, ever since Alpha’s meeting at the border.

Aaron felt Daryl’s warm hand come to rest on his thigh. He looked at Daryl, his smile still on his face. Daryl seemed to relax as he watched everyone enjoying a good meal together. This was how it should be all the time, and hopefully it would be again someday soon.

“The kids get along really well, don’t they?” Aaron commented, his hand covering Daryl’s beneath the table.

“I just wish Lydia was here,” Daryl commented. She was growing more and more aloof.

“Have you talked to her lately? I mean, really talked … like a real conversation with words, not just mumbling,” Aaron asked.

“I’ve tried, but she doesn’t want to hear anything I have to say. I don’t know how to communicate with her anymore,” Daryl complained with a certain sadness in his voice. “Everything I do is wrong. I just want to help her, that’s all. I want to protect her.”

“Maybe she needs the chance to protect herself,” Michonne said after overhearing the conversation. “I think she feels vulnerable. She wants to stand up for herself, but she’s afraid to cause trouble, especially with so many people still untrusting of her.”

“I’m starting a new defense class tomorrow,” Aaron mentioned. “She can come sit in, pick up some new moves.”

“I’ll try to get her to go,” Daryl told him.

“How’s Carol doing?” Michonne asked.

“Better,” said Daryl. “She’s not talking all that much.”

“I invited her down for dinner,” said Aaron. “She said she wasn’t hungry right now.” Aaron looked at Daryl and whispered. “She doesn’t have any pills in her room, does she?”

“No,” Daryl answered. During their return trip from the meeting at the border, Daryl discovered that Carol was popping pills, forcing herself to stay awake because she feared what she would see in her dreams. It explained her mood swings and outbursts, but she was beginning to hallucinate from lack of sleep. While they were on their way back from the border, she swore she saw three Whisperers following them in the woods. Daryl, Michonne and Carol went off to look for them while the others made their way back home. They came across an abandoned school and searched it, but came up with nothing. It was during their overnight stay that Daryl realized she had a problem with the pills. He had seen her eating them like Tic Tacs. Later she was rambling on about Daryl’s father, and insisted she had a conversation with Daryl telling her about the time his father used to drive a truck. The problem was, Daryl never had that conversation with her, and he knew for sure that his father never drove a semi. Then, while Carol took her turn as lookout, she disappeared, only to be found some time later with a serious arm injury. They got her back to Alexandria, and Siddiq patched her up and gave her a sedative to help her finally get the sleep she needed. Ever since being released from the infirmary, Carol was spending a lot of her time in her room in Michonne’s townhome.

“I’ll make her a plate and take it up to her,” Daryl said.

Michonne gave him a clean plate and a tray. Daryl picked out a little bit of everything, hoping there would be something on the plate she would eat. Aaron filled a glass with water and set it on the tray. Then Daryl took it upstairs.

He knocked twice, but there had been no answer. After a third try, he gave up and set the tray on the floor in front of the door. Carol must have been sleeping again. By the time he went back down, Aaron and Gracie had helped Michonne clear the table.

“Well, I guess we’ll be going,” Aaron said.

“Thanks for coming over,” Michonne smiled to them.

“Yeah, we’ll have to do this again. Next time you’ll come to our place,” Aaron offered.

They practically had to pry Gracie away from Judith and R.J., but they were having a great time together. Everyone said goodnight, and Daryl and Aaron started their walk home with Gracie running out ahead of them.

“You seem extra quiet tonight,” Aaron mentioned. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just a little worried about Carol … and Lydia,” Daryl admitted.

“All the women in your life are giving you a difficult time,” Aaron smiled.

“I’ll take that compared to what we’ve been through the past few days.” Daryl walked at Aaron’s side and considered talking to him about the news he learned from Alpha, and how Aaron had been seen crossing one of her borders. He hadn’t wanted to bring it up when he told her about Carol and the pills. He was afraid it might turn into an argument, and after the unending fighting they had recently, he didn’t think either one of them had the energy for that. “Hey, I’ve got something I need to talk to you about,” he began.

“What’s that?” Aaron asked. His hand was wrapped around Daryl’s arm, and he leaned into him slightly as they walked.

“When you were out on patrol with Michonne, you crossed onto Whisperer territory.” There, he just came out and said it.

Aaron slowed his pace, and Daryl felt him tense slightly. “I did,” he admitted. “I’ve already been told that was a bad idea by Michonne,” he said on the defense. “Did she tell you to talk to me about it or something?”

“Actually, I didn’t know until the meeting at the border,” said Daryl, and Aaron let go of him and stopped walking. “She says we crossed her borders three times, in the winter, during the fire, and when you crossed the bridge.”

“Shit,” Aaron said to himself.

“You’re known as the man with the metal arm. She knows who you are now. You’ve put a bullseye on your back.”

“I went after a group of walkers on the bridge. I thought some of them might have been Whisperers,” Aaron explained.

“You took it upon yourself to start something that didn’t need starting,” Daryl argued. “Why would you be so careless?”

“I was angry. I was tired. I’m sick of always having to watch my back and yours. All we’ve done here in this place, we’ve come so far and for what? Just to have it feel like a prison? We can’t go past the bridge or the river. Now she’s moved the borders and we can’t hunt where we’re most successful anymore. And what do we do? We just clear a different path so we can navigate around these invisible walls. It’s too much, Daryl, and it feels like we’re doing nothing about it. We’re just giving in to Alpha and allowing it to happen.”

“I get that. I do, but this isn’t the way to go about it,” Daryl told him.

“Then let’s find the way,” Aaron insisted with a raised voice. “Alpha doesn’t give rules. She gives threats, and if you don’t see that then you’re just ignoring the obvious. There’s no being nice with these people, and I use the term lightly. They live and act like animals, and they should be treated that way.”

“You don’t get it,” Daryl said, turning on him. “She fucking knows who you are. That was the last thing I wanted to happen. I’m already on her radar because of Lydia. I didn’t want you there too. It was a stupid move on your part. Don’t let it happen again.”

“Are we done here?” said Aaron, anger dancing in his eyes, and his mouth drawn in a tight line.

“I’ve said my piece,” Daryl responded.

Aaron left Daryl standing in the street and went on toward their house. He caught up to Gracie and they walked together the rest of the way.

Daryl could only watch. This wasn’t how he wanted the conversation to go, but he knew it couldn’t be avoided. He took his time going home, even turned down a different street. The longer it took him, the longer he and Aaron had to ponder their responses. There was a time Daryl wouldn’t have gone home at all, but he wasn’t that man anymore. Still, he knew enough to know they both needed time to cool down.

About a half hour or so later, Daryl came home. The house was quiet. He peeked in Lydia’s room, but she wasn’t there. A light was on upstairs, and Aaron must have been putting Gracie to bed. Daryl decided to have a seat on the couch and wait for him.

Aaron descended the stairs, pausing at the bottom before he came the rest of the way down. Daryl turned sideways on the couch and looked back at him. His eyes were soft and apologetic. Aaron sighed and went to the kitchen. He opened the fridge, and Daryl heard the clink of a pair of beer bottles. He listened to Aaron’s quiet steps coming closer to the living room. Then, a bottle appeared at his shoulder. Daryl took it, and watched Aaron come around and sit next to him on the couch. They both drank deep without speaking for the first couple minutes.

“I don’t want to fight,” Daryl admitted. “And I’m sorry if I upset you. I just needed you to know.”

Aaron took Daryl’s hand in his. “I don’t want to fight either. Look, I know I was wrong,” he admitted. “I just didn’t care at the time. And I didn’t think they were watching. Nothing happened afterwards. The walkers were just walkers, and there were no signs of Whisperers.”

“I guess she wasn’t lying when she said they’re always watching,” Daryl remarked. He took another swig of his beer. “It’s frustrating, I know. We’re all feeling the pressure, but we’re not doing nothing. We’re training. We’re getting stronger and smarter. I mean, look at what we just accomplished. All those herds spread out over a couple days, and no bites, no deaths.”

“Yeah, I know. It was a major feat, and it was successful.”

“You’re a part of that success,” Daryl pointed out. “You’re Alexandria’s captain. Your training had a lot to do with it. This is working, and when the time comes, we’ll be ready. I just don’t think we should be the ones to initiate it this time.”

“I guess I hadn’t looked at it that way, but you’re right,” said Aaron, looking into Daryl’s eyes.

The moment caught them by surprise, the longing and the love they felt for each other. Aaron leaned in, and captured Daryl’s mouth, drawing him in for a slow kiss.

“I can’t lose you, Aaron,” Daryl admitted at a whisper. “And this bitch scares me more than any enemy we’ve ever come up against. She plays mind games with us. That’s something we’ve never dealt with before.”

“I’m sorry,” said Aaron. “I’ll be more careful.”

“Promise me?” Daryl pleaded.

“Promise,” said Aaron quietly, drawing Daryl in for another seductive kiss. His hand moved across Daryl’s thigh and cupped him, feeling him start to swell.

“Mmm,” Daryl moaned low. “Are we about to have make up sex?”

“I think we’ve earned it,” Aaron replied, nipping at Daryl’s neck.

Static came across Aaron’s hand held radio that laid on the coffee table. And then Michonne’s voice came on. “Aaron. Daryl. Either one of you there? It’s Michonne. Pick up.”

Aaron stopped what he was doing, and Daryl complained. “No.”

“I have to,” Aaron said.

“Then let me.” Daryl abandoned Aaron and leaned forward, picking up the walkie. “It’s Daryl. What’s up?”

“Sorry to bother you, but I just heard from Hilltop. There’s been an accident. I tree fell. It’s damaged part of the wall, and crushed a building. They have injured. Ezekiel has asked for help. I’m heading out in the morning.”

“Want me to come along?” Daryl inquired.

“No, I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Alexandria. Aaron, you and Gabriel are in charge as usual. I’m taking a small group and supplies with me. Eugene has volunteered to go too. He wants to help reconstruct the damage.”

“Do you need us to keep the kids?” Aaron asked.

“Sarah is taking R.J., but you know what a handful he can be. So if you could just check in on him now and then, I’d appreciate it. I’m sure Sarah will too. Judith is coming with me,” Michonne told them.

“Sounds good,” Daryl responded. “Just let us know if there’s anything else you need us to do.”

“That’s all for now. Thanks guys. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Aaron and Daryl said in unison. They both collapsed back onto the couch. Daryl let the radio slip between them.

“Shit,” Daryl complained.

“What are you thinking?” Aaron asked.

“I’m thinking this is an odd coincidence,” said Daryl, sighing as he said it.

“Yeah, me too.”

>>------->

Aaron’s training was already underway bright and early the next morning. There were some new faces, and some were people already a part of his army. Today he was teaching knife combat. He went over the basic moves and the rules that went along with them. These were things that Paul had trained him for when they used to meet in secret. Aaron remembered everything Paul taught him. He was responsible for the way Aaron fought now, and the reason Aaron needed to spread his knowledge on to others.

He picked out two people to duel, and kept a sharp eye on them. When he saw they were doing it wrong he intervened. “Stop!” he commanded. “You’re dead,” he told the man on the left. “Your eyes were on the ground.” He glanced around at the group to see that he still had their attention. “You must track from head to hands … always. Lose focus and you will be killed. Remember, these people took our friends, and now they’ve taken our land. They must be stopped, and this is the first step to accomplishing that.” As he finished giving instructions, he noticed Lydia walk up, and take a spot at the back of the group. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement and continued. “Okay, let’s try it again, and stay alive this time.”

His attention was fully on his fighting subjects, giving instructions as they battled. So he hadn’t noticed Gage, Margo and Alfred badgering Lydia. He put a hand out to stop the pair of men so that he could hear what was being said.

“Why don’t you just leave,” Margo told her.

“Yeah, get out of here,” Gage said.

“Hey!” Aaron yelled, and the three troublemakers turned around instantly. “Leave her alone. She has every right to be here. If you don’t like it then you can go.” As he berated them, Lydia spun on her heel and walked away in a hurry. He wanted to go after her, but he couldn’t leave his group. This training was important. Besides, he thought about how it would make Lydia feel. He thought Michonne was right when she suggested Lydia be allowed to defend herself instead of Daryl and Aaron always coming to her rescue. “All right everyone, back to the lesson. Okay, let’s have two more come up. Who wants to be next?”

After the session was finished, Aaron went to look for Lydia to see how she was, but he couldn’t find her. Instead, he found Daryl, who smiled when Aaron approached him. “How did training go?” Daryl asked.

“It went good, but . . .” He paused, still searching the surrounding area.

“Something happen?”

“Yeah, kind of. Lydia came by.”

“Good. I told her she should, but I wasn’t sure she was going to listen to me.”

“Well,” Aaron continued. “She didn’t stay long. Gage and a couple of his Highwaymen friends started to provoke her. I broke it up, but she left. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”

“It’s not the first time they’ve done that,” Daryl mentioned. “If you want, I’ll go find her. I’m sure you’ve got things to do.”

“I do actually, but family comes first,” Aaron smiled and wrapped his arm around Daryl’s waist.

“Yes it does,” Daryl agreed. Then he leaned in and quietly whispered. “And I believe you owe me some make-up sex.”

“I didn’t forget about that, and I think tonight will prove to be very interesting,” Aaron whispered back.

Daryl straightened, closed his eyes, allowed a thin smile and gave a shiver. Aaron laughed at his comical response. “I’m going,” Daryl announced, and he went on his way. After a few steps, he looked back over his shoulder and winked at Aaron, knowing he’d be watching as he walked away. He always did. “God, I love that man,” Daryl thought to himself.

Daryl made his rounds, and checked all the spots where Lydia liked to hang out, but he hadn’t found her yet. As he was passing the washhouse, a building where they laundered bigger items like sheets and blankets, he heard soft voices coming from in between the hanging sheets. He made his way closer, but stayed out of sight and listened. It was Lydia all right, and she was talking to Negan. One of his chores was to hang the laundry. Daryl wondered what she wanted with him.

“This is the third time you’ve stopped by this week. You looking for a job?” said Negan.

“I just needed to get away and clear my head,” she told him. “Gage and his friend started again today.”

So this wasn’t the first time she’d been to see Negan, Daryl said to himself. It seemed as though she was going to him for advice.

“Again?” Negan said and sighed. “So, what happened to rolling with it, just like I told you to do?”

“I tried that, but I can’t just sit by, smile and take it anymore,” Lydia complained.

“Not exactly what I told you to do, but–”

“You said to kill them with kindness,” she reminded him.

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t tell you to run and hide like you’re doing now.” Negan paused, and Daryl could hear the rustling of sheets as Negan worked. “What do My Two Dad’s say?”

“I’ve told them about it, but they just say that they’ll handle it. I get that they want to protect me, but it kind of makes me feel powerless to do anything,” she explained.

Daryl hated to hear her say this. He thought he was doing the right thing. Maybe Michonne was right. There were some battles she needed to fight for herself.

“Look, kid, Gage and them are trying to get a rise out of you. They’re pushing your buttons. They want to see you get mad. Don’t give them the satisfaction. Screw them. So the next time they try something, here’s what I want you to do.”

Daryl had heard enough. The last thing in the world he wanted for Lydia was to get advice from a murdering, sadistic asshole like Negan. Before another word could be spoken, Daryl busted through the sheets, whipping them to the side. Both Lydia and Negan were surprised to see him there.

“Let’s go,” he demanded without even looking at Negan.

“I’m good,” she responded in defiance.

“Now!” said Daryl with authority.

Lydia glared up at him and stood from the ground, marching away without saying a word. He watched her go and then went to Negan, getting in his face to confront him.

Negan played a submissive roll and didn’t challenge him in a physical way, but he had words. “Hey man, she’s just trying to fit in.”

“Yeah, well that ain’t gonna happen if she’s seen hanging out with you, is it?” Daryl didn’t give Negan an opportunity to respond. He turned and stormed off to find Lydia before she got too far. By the time he found her, she was walking up the sidewalk, heading for home. He hurried his pace to catch up to her. “Lydia,” he called out when he was behind her.

“We were just talking,” she said, but she continued to walk away.

“You know he’s not your friend, right?” said Daryl.

“He gets me. He was just trying to help.”

“What do you think me and Aaron are here for?” Daryl argued.

“I know, and I appreciate it, but I can’t keep running to you like some kind of tattletale.” As they continued the argument, they approached their house.

“I get that, and that’s not what I was trying to do. But what you gotta understand with Negan is, he used to solve things through violence, and I don’t want him teaching you any of his bad ways.”

“He didn’t say anything like that. He was just–”

“Just … just stay away from him. Please?” Daryl asked, his voice softening as he talked to her.

They were in front of their house, and as they were about to walk up the steps, they both stopped and stared at the front door. Written in yellow paint was a message. “Silence the Whisperers,” it read. The graffiti reminded Daryl of a long time ago when a derogatory word was painted on the sidewalk where they now stood. It felt like history repeating itself.

“Damnit,” Daryl complained.

“You see? It’s not going to stop as long as I stay quiet and smile at them,” said Lydia.

“Let me talk to them,” said Daryl, knowing that wasn’t what she wanted to hear, and she let him know.

“That’s all you ever say,” she countered.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Let me handle it on my own this time,” she told him.

“And how are you gonna do that?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“This is why I tell you I’ll handle it.” Daryl felt like they were going in circles. Lydia turned to leave. “Where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here.”

“Lydia,” Daryl called after her.

“I’m not going to see him, don’t worry,” she said, and she took off toward the main gate.

Daryl wanted to follow her, but he knew he couldn’t. “How do people fucking do this?” he asked himself. Parenting was way more difficult than he ever would have imagined. Maybe the problem was, he didn’t feel like a full-fledged parent to Lydia. He was more of an advisor and a friend to her. So when he pushed his parenting vibes on her it didn’t work very well. There had to be a better way. This way just wasn’t working.

He walked up the steps and stopped in front of the door, just staring at the graffiti. The tension was getting tighter. Sooner or later, something was going to snap. Aaron was right about that. Something had to give. They just needed to figure out what to do first.

Daryl went inside and upstairs to his room. He collapsed on the bed, and laid there to let his mind relax. With Michonne gone, he was responsible for what happened around town. This latest incident would need to be dealt with. How many other people felt this way?

“Daryl, you home?” Aaron called from the living room.

“Yeah, upstairs,” Daryl called back. He heard Aaron’s footsteps coming up the stairs, and soon he appeared in the doorway.

“Did you find Lydia?” Aaron asked coming to join Daryl on the bed. He nudged his side with his knee, and Daryl moved over to his side of the bed.

“She was hanging with Negan.”

“Again?”

“Yeah. Apparently, it’s been a regular thing. She’s been going to him for advice on how to deal with Gage and the others,” said Daryl.

“That’s not good.”

“I know. That’s why I told her not to see him anymore. And as you can see, she’s not here.” Daryl moved so that he laid his head on Aaron’s lap. Aaron proceeded to brush his fingers through Daryl’s long hair. It felt so good.

“We need to approach this differently,” said Aaron as he continued to stroke and massage Daryl’s head. “Maybe we should gather everyone, Gage, Margo, Alfred and Lydia, and hash this out face to face. She needs to be seen as a member of this community, and right now I think they see her as a refugee, an outsider.”

“I don’t know. Last thing she wants right now is for me or you to fight her fights. I’m just afraid of how they’ll respond to … whatever she’s planning on doing. I need to follow her, see what she’s up to without her knowing I’m there.”

“It’s not easy, is it?” Aaron asked. His hand moved to Daryl’s collarbone, kneading the tension away.

“Fuck no.” Daryl breathed deep and released is slowly. “Mmm, that feels good.”

“Take your shirt off, and I’ll give you a massage,” said Aaron.

Daryl sat up, eyes focusing on Aaron. “You’re just trying to get me naked,” Daryl teased as he unbuttoned his shirt, and tossed it onto a nearby chair. Then he stretched out face down on the bed.

“Mmph, maybe. And it seems to be working,” Aaron responded seductively. He kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the back of Daryl’s thighs. Though he only had one hand, he worked his magic along stiff muscles and spine, loosening Daryl’s body, inch by slow inch, from shoulders to waist.

Aaron couldn’t help notice how toned Daryl was. He was a pillar of strength, both mentally and physically. It was the physical form that intrigued him at the moment. Despite all the scars, Daryl’s body was astonishing. “I wish I could do more,” he admitted. “I know my massages aren’t what they used to be.”

“It’s still the best massage I’ve ever had,” Daryl complimented.

Aaron’s hand stilled. “Have you been getting massages from someone else?” he said playfully.

“Well, sometimes Dog walks over my back, but even four paws don’t compare to your one hand,” Daryl joked.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Aaron smiled. He ran a single finger down Daryl’s spine, then hooked it inside the waistband of his pants, giving a slight tug. “These next. Take them off.”

“You didn’t say Simon Says,” Daryl taunted.

Aaron moved off of Daryl and waited until he sat up, and they were facing each other. “Simon says, take off your pants,” he said seductively. He put the palm of his hand on Daryl’s chest and pushed him. Daryl playfully fell back onto the bed, and reached for the button of his pants, but he paused.

“Are we safe to do this? It’s kind of early in the day,” Daryl wondered.

“Gracie is at Sarah’s house playing with her friends. I don’t have to get her for a couple hours yet,” Aaron told him.

“And I doubt Lydia will be back anytime soon. She’s out blowing off steam,” Daryl added.

“Looks like we’re safe.” Aaron watched Daryl unzip his pants and lift his ass from the bed. His thumbs slipped inside the waistband and he started to slide them down. Aaron helped pull them down until they were completely off. Then he threw them, joining Daryl’s shirt on the chair. He turned back to find Daryl half hard beneath his tight fitting boxer briefs. He smiled deviously, and leaned down, covering Daryl’s body with his own. They kissed deep and wanton before Aaron moved to his neck and shoulders. His tongue licked a trail down the center of Daryl’s chest. Then he gave special attention to each nipple, tongue flicking wildly until Daryl’s breath hitched. Aaron smiled to himself, enjoying the fact that he could still undo Daryl with nothing more than the tip of his tongue. And that was exactly what he had in mind for this midday tryst.

He moved further along down Daryl’s body, and kissed the fully hard cock through his cotton briefs. Then he mouthed him, making sure his hot breath seeped into the material. That elicited a glorious moan from Daryl, and an involuntary thrust of his hips. With his hand, Aaron pulled at the waistband, and Daryl reached down to help him with the opposite side. Aaron moved so Daryl could finish kicking the briefs off. Now he laid completely naked and submissive beneath Aaron.

Daryl was lost to a world of pleasure, and let Aaron do anything he wanted to him. It was slow torture what the man was doing to his body, and Daryl wouldn’t have it any other way. There was something to be said about the fact that, after all these years, they could still turn hard for each other in a matter of seconds. That passion never faltered, and every time it was the most amazing experience.

He pushed himself up on his elbows and watched Aaron swallow him. Aaron’s blue eyes glanced up at him, gazing through his lashes like a predator. Daryl didn’t mind at all falling prey to Aaron’s desires. Aaron’s tongue stroked along his length, flicking the rim and the tip every few strokes. Then Daryl felt a finger tease his entrance, dip in and gently bring him about. Aaron swallowed him and a second finger invaded at the same time. The sensations it caused made Daryl’s hips lift from the mattress, and a wisp of a moan passed over his lips. There was only one direction to go to escape this erotic high, and Aaron was leading him there with every lick, every suck, every finger stroke. And then stars exploded behind his closed eyes, and Aaron took everything Daryl fed him, and he drank long and deep until there was nothing left to give. Aaron’s mouth around his oversensitive cock made Daryl shiver and goosebumps broke out over his skin. Daryl’s eyes rolled up in his head, and his toes curled. His fingers had pulled the soft sheets into his tight fists. Slowly, every muscle in his body began to relax as they released their tension. He felt like he was sinking into the mattress, and he hoped he didn’t have to move for a while. He only wanted to lay there and bask in the vestiges of his pleasure.

Aaron moved up next to him, laying on his side so he could stroke Daryl’s chest. “You’re magnificent when you come,” he whispered, warm breath caressing Daryl’s ear.

“All because of you,” Daryl answered, and a satisfied look spread across his face. “You’re so fucking good at that, and all I want to do is return the favor.”

“Later,” Aaron said, sitting up so that he could smile down at him. “This time was all for you.”

“Why are you so good to me?” Daryl asked.

“Because I love you. I love everything about you, and I love you more with each day that goes by.” Aaron kissed him, tongues swirling lazily.

>>------->

The day passed slowly after Daryl and Aaron reluctantly got back to their lives outside the bedroom. Aaron went to Sarah’s house to pick Gracie up and take her home. She had her bicycle today, her most prized possession. Aaron had gotten it for her birthday a year and a half ago. He taught her how to ride, and ever since she was becoming harder to keep in one place. All her friends had bikes too. They like to ride around the town. Aaron liked to watch them sometimes. He remembered is own childhood, and he had done the same thing. Seeing Gracie interact like this almost made it seem like there was no apocalypse. It was such a normal childhood pastime.

She rode her bike out of Sarah’s garage to Aaron, who was waiting on the sidewalk. Sarah waved at him and he waved back, thanking her once again for watching her. Gracie had a piece of paper in her hand and she shoved it at Aaron.

“Can you hold this?” she said.

Aaron looked at it and smiled. It was a picture of the two of them riding bikes together. “Did you draw this?” he asked.

“Yep,” Gracie answered, riding in circles around him as they walked down the street. “The big one is you and the little one is me.”

“We haven’t ridden together in a while. Maybe I’ll get my bike out when we get home, and we can take a spin around the neighborhood,” Aaron offered. When Gracie first learned to ride her bike, they used to do that all the time. Even after a long day of meetings and work, Aaron would always take the time to play with Gracie when he was done for the day. It didn’t matter how tired he was. This was all for his daughter.

“Not today, Dad,” said Gracie. “Annie is coming over, and we’re going to practice our show.”

“Your show?”

“Yeah, Ms. Stokes is making the class have a talent show, and each one of us has to be a president. Me and Annie are helping each other practice. She’s going to be George Washington, and I’m Abraham Lincoln. We have to say something about them that was important in history. I’m going to talk about the Gettysburg Address.”

“Wow, that’s some advanced stuff,” said Aaron impressed by the assignment the teacher gave them.

“Ms. Stokes says if we want to grow as a community, we have to remember how it started.”

“Ms. Stokes is absolutely right, and the Gettysburg Address is a good example of how we should live our lives today.” Aaron couldn’t be more proud of Gracie.

“I’m going to ride home, Dad. I’ll see you there.” She waved and smiled and took off peddling.

“Be careful,” Aaron called after her. He looked down at the picture in his hands and felt his heart swell with joy. Even in the midst of another war hanging over their heads, hope still thrived. That was something Alpha couldn’t take from them, and it made it all that more important to fight for their way of life. There had to be a way to get past all this. There had to be something they could do. What they couldn’t do anymore was to give in to Alpha’s threats, and let her dictate how they would live. Violence, though necessary at times, wasn’t the answer. He reluctantly thought about something Negan said to him. He called Aaron out when he said he saw someone pretending. Aaron had tried to be someone he wasn’t. He was much more cautious now, but he wasn’t the bad guy that he thought he was turning into. He never had been that person. He still wanted to help those in need, but he knew when someone was beyond help too. That’s where he had to draw the line and toughen up the rules, his rules.

And just when he had given himself a pep talk, it all came crashing down again. A message came across his walkie. “There’s been an incident,” he was told. It was Father Gabriel.

Aaron stopped and gave a serious look. Then he called out to Gracie before she got out of earshot. “Hold on a minute, Gracie.” She stopped biking, and Aaron answered the radio. “Who and where?”

“At the mess hall … and … it’s Lydia,” Gabriel said reluctantly.

“Is she okay? Did someone do something to her?” Aaron asked worriedly.

“Not exactly. More like what she did to them.”

“Where is she now?”

“We’re not sure,” Gabriel said. “She took off, stormed out of the hall.”

“Does Daryl know?”

“He’s looking for her right now.”

“Okay, thanks,” Aaron replied. He snapped the radio back onto his belt, and called out to Gracie. “Go on home. I’ll be there in a bit. I’ve got some business to attend to first.”

“Okay Daddy,” she answered, and Aaron watched her go straight to the house. He knew she’d be all right on her own for a little while. Right now, Aaron needed to find Lydia and find out exactly what happened.

>>------->

Daryl had been making his rounds and visiting a couple of the residents when he got the message about Lydia. Right away he went to Gabriel, who filled him in on what happened. She had gone to the mess hall, walked in, and sat down at the table where Gage, Margo and Alfred were eating dinner. They were about to tell her to leave when Lydia pulled a dead squirrel out from under the table and began skinning and gutting it. Gage had been appalled and stood from the table to leave, but Lydia continued. Some of the squirrel’s blood splashed onto him, and he seemed more shocked than angry. The same couldn’t be said for Margo. She took the initiative for their group and confronted Lydia, telling her to leave. Lydia stood her ground, and for the first time she stood up to them on her own without Daryl to stick up for her and fight her fight. All three stood and left the hall, but not before Margo threatened retaliation.

His first thought as to where Lydia might have gone was Negan. Daryl was making his way there when he saw Aaron coming the opposite way.

“Hey. I guess you heard what happened?” Aaron asked.

“I did,” said Daryl, shaking his head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into that kid.”

“Have you found her yet?”

“No, but I was going to see if she’s visited Negan.”

“I just came from there,” Aaron informed him. “I asked the guard, but she hasn’t been by today. Where else do you think she might have gone?”

“Maybe she’s at the practice grounds. Sometimes she goes there with her stick when she’s frustrated. Or she might have gone home,” Daryl suggested.

“Okay, I’ll go to the practice grounds, you go home,” Aaron told him.

“I’ll radio you if I find her,” said Daryl.

“I’ll do the same.”

Daryl and Aaron went their separate ways. When Daryl got to their house, he heard Gracie and another girl playing in the backyard. He went around back and looked past the corner of the house, finding the girls reciting something they’d learned at school, but Lydia wasn’t there. He went back to the front and slipped inside the front door just in time to see her hurrying for the stairs.

“Hold up a minute,” Daryl stopped her.

Lydia stopped, but she didn’t turn around. Daryl gathered himself and his thoughts before he started questioning her. He needed to approach this differently, and hoped she wouldn’t run off again.

“You want to live here, right?” he started.

“Gage and them deserved it,” she said.

“Yeah, they did,” Daryl told her, and she turned around and looked at him with disbelief. “I know what hell they’ve put you through lately, and they are totally in the wrong.” Daryl saw she was actually listening to him, and he moved from the front door to be closer to her. “But you can’t be doing shit like that.”

“Well, they can’t be writing shit on our door. And it’s not just there. It’s all over town,” she complained.

“We don’t know that was them,” he said calmly.

“Who else could it be? They’ve been up my ass since I came here.”

“I’ll talk to them,” said Daryl.

“No, please don’t. That’s what you say every time something happens. I’ve tried to fit in. I’ve followed the rules, and still, I get evil looks and laughed at. I hear the whispers when I walk down the street. People say things about me all the time. They don’t trust me. They don’t think I belong here. They think I’m responsible for all the deaths that have happened. It doesn’t matter what you say. The fact is, they want to tear me down. They want me to give up, but I’m not going to do that.”

“I get it. I really do, but you can’t gut a squirrel in the mess hall while everyone’s eating either. That won’t solve anything. It just makes it worse. Look, we’ll figure something out, but for now can’t you just avoid Gage and the others?”

“What do you think I’ve been doing? You know what? Forget it.” Lydia’s stick was leaning against the wall next to the stairs. She snatched it up, and then left the house without saying another word. Nothing was settled, Lydia was still upset, and Daryl hadn’t a clue what to do about it.

He stood in the center of the house, turned his sight to the floor and shook his head slowly back and forth. “Great,” he said with defeat. Then he lifted his radio to his lips. “I found her. She was home. She’s gone again, but at least I talked to her. I don’t think she’ll try another stunt like that again.”

Aaron came back through the static. “Well, at least you found her. What are you doing now?”

“I’m just going to stay here. I see Gracie has a friend over.”

“Want me to talk to Lydia?” Aaron asked.

“Naw, let her be for now. She needs some time to herself, I think.”

“I’ll be home in a minute,” said Aaron.

>>------->

It was getting dark, and Lydia still hadn’t come home. Aaron worried for her, but Daryl knew she was just doing her own thing.

“You’re too lenient on her sometimes,” Aaron said quietly as they sat at the kitchen island, enjoying a quiet moment from their busy day.

“What do you want me to do, run after her every time she marches off? She’s not a kid anymore,” Daryl countered, feeling defensive by Aaron’s statement.

“She needs guidance. And I’m not blaming you. We’re both at fault. I think we’re both easy on her at times. We know the hell she’s been through, and we don’t want to add to her difficulties. I just feel that you’re more of a father figure to her than I am. Sure, I’ve spoken with her a few times, but I don’t think I have much authority.”

“She don’t listen to me either,” Daryl said softly. He bowed his head and swiveled his chair away from Aaron.

Aaron stood and went to Daryl, wrapped his arm around him and laid his head on Daryl’s shoulder. “I know it’s tough right now, but I can’t think of anyone better for Lydia than you. She’s bonded to you, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

Daryl reached up and squeezed Aaron’s arm, letting him know he heard what he had to say. Aaron laid a gentle kiss on Daryl’s cheek, and stood straight again. “Well, what’s for dinner? Want to order some Chinese from that joint around the corner?”

Aaron always knew how to lighten the mood when Daryl was feeling down. “What I wouldn’t do for some diner food. A big greasy burger with all the trimmings, and a plate of French fries.”

“We obviously came from different neighborhoods,” Aaron smiled. “But add a handmade chocolate malt shake to that order and I’m sold.”

“It’s amazing that we still miss those kinds of things after all these years without.”

“Who knows? Crab Rangoon and chili cheese fries might make a comeback someday.” Aaron’s stomach began to growl as he talked about it.

“How about stew and a chunk of bread instead?” Daryl suggested, since that’s what they had to eat in the house.

“Coming right up.” Aaron got to work heating up their dinner, and Daryl went upstairs to tell Gracie to set the table. It might not have been Chinese takeout or milkshakes, but it was dinner with the family, and that’s what mattered most. They only wished Lydia would have been there too.

After dinner, Aaron read Gracie a bedtime story, like he did most nights. She was old enough now that she read to him too. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead. When he walked over to turn on her nightlight, she sat up so she was leaning against her pillows.

“Daddy?” she said softly.

Aaron turned around and smiled at her. What is it honey?”

Gracie was quiet a moment before she answered, and Aaron knew she had something she needed to talk about with him, something that had been on her mind for a while. He went to her and sat on the edge of the bed as he waited for her to continue.

“The other day when you came home,” she started and stopped again. Aaron patiently waited for her to finish her thoughts. “I’ve never seen you like that before. You were … dirty … you know, bloody.”

This had been his fear all along, and he wished she hadn’t remembered seeing him that way. “That was my fault. I shouldn’t have come home looking that way,” he apologized. “You didn’t need to see me in that state.”

“I was scared, and that’s why I was hiding on the couch,” Gracie admitted.

Aaron pulled her into his side and wrapped his arm around her. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. You know I would never–”

“Was it walker blood?” she interrupted with curiosity.

Aaron released her and sat back. He gave a nod. “Yes, it was. That’s part of my job. I keep the community safe, and sometimes I have to get dirty like that, but I never meant for you to see it. I was just tired. It was a long couple days of fighting, and I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Are you scared when you fight them?” she asked.

“Sometimes, yes, but I have to push through the fear because I know I’m keeping you and all the people of Alexandria safe,” Aaron explained. “It was just blood, and none of it was mine. I’m very careful when I have to fight the walkers. And sometimes Daryl is with me. We protect each other when we fight them together,” Aaron told her as he tried to ease her worried mind.

“Does is make it hard to fight with only one arm?” she asked.

“Well, in the beginning it was. I had to relearn how to fight. Paul taught me how to do that. He taught me that my handicap was an advantage not an incapacity. Now I can truly say that having only one arm as made me a stronger fighter.”

“Am I going to have to fight them one day?” she wondered.

Up until this moment, Aaron had taught Gracie about keeping safe from walkers, what to do if they ever got separated, and where to go so that he could find her. But he hadn’t discussed having to fight them. He could see the genuine concern on her face. He wouldn’t hide the truth from her, but he didn’t think they would have this conversation so soon

“Yes,” he eventually answered. “There will come a day when you will have to fight them, but that day is a long way from now. When you’re ready, I will start teaching you, and I’m sure Daryl will teach you some of his skills, too. You’ll have a lot of training before you have to take down a walker, and I’ll make sure you’ll be ready when the time comes. For now, you don’t have anything to worry about, because until that time comes, I’m going to be around to keep you safe.”

“Okay, Daddy,” Gracie smiled. She seemed satisfied with their talk and wrapped both arms around Aaron’s waist to hug him.

Aaron kissed the top of her head, and made sure she was tucked in before he left her room. When he went downstairs, Daryl was sitting on the couch with two bottles of beer. Aaron collapsed on the couch next to him and took the offered drink.

“Thanks,” said Aaron, taking a long pull from the bottle.

“Trouble?” Daryl asked.

“No, not really.” Aaron gave an audible sigh. “She wanted to know about killing walkers. It seems she’s been giving it a lot of thought since I came home covered in gore the other day. I knew I should have cleaned up first. I usually do, but it had been such a long day, and I just wanted to go home. It scared her seeing me like that. It also got her thinking about her future. I just didn’t want her to have to worry about that for a while yet.”

“She’ll be all right,” said Daryl. “She’s strong like you. You’ve done a good job raising her,” Daryl complimented.

“She asked me if she was going to have to kill walkers someday. I had to be honest with her and said yes.” Aaron stopped and shook his head. “I don’t know, but it just made it a lot more real for me. I can’t even begin to imagine Gracie out there taking down walkers, but I know eventually it will happen.”

“We’ll make sure she’s prepared. She’ll be one badass fighter by then,” Daryl said to ease Aaron’s mind.

“A parent’s main concern about sending their children into the world used to mean riding the school bus for the first time, sleepovers, going to the mall with friends, college life, stuff like that. Now it’s killing their first walker. I think I’d be better prepared to let her go out on a date with a boy who owned his own car than to watch her fight a walker.”

“Well, if we teacher her right, she’ll be strong enough to fight off that walker and the boy with the car,” Daryl joked. It was his turn to try and lighten the mood.

“Aaron. Daryl. Either one of you there? Over,” came a voice over the radio.

Daryl picked it up and held it close to his face. “This is Daryl. What’s up? Over.”

“We’ve got a serious situation down by the washroom. Over.” It was Laura’s voice they recognized.

“What is it? Over,” said Daryl.

“It’s Lydia,” she came back. “And Negan. Just get here quickly. We’ve got a mess on our hands.”

“Coming now,” Daryl said, and he put the radio onto his belt. “I’ll go if you want to stay here.”

“I’m going with you. Just give me a minute,” said Aaron, and he ran upstairs to tell Gracie he would be back soon. Normally, he didn’t like leaving her alone, but this sounded serious. When he came back to the living room, Daryl was already at the door, pacing back and forth.

“Let’s go,” said Daryl without hesitation. They left the house and hurried to the washhouse.
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Safe Haven in the Chaos