Vanessa Taylor, a sassy blue haired, tattooed cosmetologist with a mouth of a sailor was born and raised in Ohio. One summer while she was visiting her sick father, her connecting flight ends in the city getting shut down, leaving her stranded in th...
I park the truck at the quarry, leaving the car running until I build the nerves to head back and face everyone I had left behind. "We walk from here. We are maybe an hour out on foot." I explain that Negan would demand to hand over whatever we bring back if he's there. It's best to look like I came up to empty. Hilltop is barely getting by because of this greedy asshole. I have no doubt that we face the same fate. "I got an idea to twist the truth." She nods, face unreadable. I reach for her hand, "it's okay. If Rick puts up with me, he will gladly accept you into the fold." Sighing, "I still wonder why he took a chance on me." I confess out loud, feeling my own unease crawl up my spine.
Her hazel eyes flick to the windshield, watching the world around us. "You didn't mention you had a sister, did you?" She asks suddenly, her face somber.
"No. There's a lot about me Rick still doesn't know." I trail off, "Maggie knows, for what it's worth. Jordan, Wren, Kelly and Charlee are there, too." I reassure her to the best of my ability.
"Maggie? Isn't that the one you call a sister? Your friends didn't seem to care for me. Why would...?" I know she's doubting Rick taking her in. But I have a feeling he will without hesitation. She smiles sadly, "you've always been like that." Her eyes return to me, "I wish we had a better relationship."
"As long as they've been around, they didn't know you because you treated us like we were beneath you, Tor. You didn't exactly make it easy for them." I turn off the engine, frowning. "We are just total opposites. It happens."
"But so are you and Daryl."
I close my eyes at the mention of his name, pain soars through blood. I know he's not waiting for me back there. "By first glance, maybe, but no; the scars we wear on our souls are similar. We are both warriors and survivors. He's been through some shit, too, in his past life." I find myself staring out the driver's side window, "you know it's not too late, we can head back, or go somewhere else."
In the corner of my eye, I watch as she grabs hold of her resolve, reaching for the door. "Nope, they need you." My hand snatches her gun, tossing it under the seat. Her questioning gaze meets mine.
"No guns. They will take it. We need to keep this a secret until we know it's safe. I don't know what is waiting for us back there." I hick my thumb in the direction of the community. "If we get into trouble, I can take down the walkers with my knife. But we cleared the herd that was here. We should be fine." My eyes find Jamie, "you stick close and listen to everything I say, okay?" He nods under my order. "If I say run, run straight until you come up on gates. Tell them I sent you, okay?"
"Okay." He whispers. I grab his hand squeezing.
"I'll keep you safe, kid." I promise.
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The gates swing open at our arrival, I hang my head. Cars and men that don't belong here litter the entrance. "Fuck. We got company," I whisper to Tori and Jamie, "stay close, don't say anything and follow my lead." We step through the threshold, making it barely two feet in before one of Negan's cronies, a darker man, smirking, putting his hand up to stop us from going any further, deciding to pat us down for safe measure, or because they feel like being assholes. It's hard to tell with this group sometimes. I raise my arms, glowering and angry. "I just have a knife. You don't need to frisk us." I glance over, seeing Victoria's face twist up in annoyance as she endures the same punishment. Can't say I didn't warn her.
