LOYAL [TWD] (third book to TROUBLE)

catching up

The aftermath of the fight was nearly as tense as the fight itself.

Sakiko and Nanami didn't know what to say to each other. It had been ten years since they saw each other. Plus, they didn't exactly part on good terms.

Sakiko almost wanted to make a smart comment. But, she couldn't bring herself to do it for the first time in her life.

Martinez and Daryl side eyed each other, but a single nod was all it took to mend a broken fence.

Henry had gotten injured by one of the Whisperers.

"Alexandria's closest. We'll take him there," Daryl decides.

Sakiko and Nanami both look at him.

Sakiko and Michonne weren't on bad terms but not good terms, either. She refused to go there.

Nanami up and left Carl in his most painful of times without saying much except a letter apologizing. Nanami wouldn't blame his ex if he shot him on sight.

"I'll head to Hilltop," Sakiko decides. "The fair is about to start and I need to get Kitsu."

"I'll go with you," Nanami states, his mouth moving before his head thought it over.

Sakiko looks at Nanami with wide eyes. Daryl flicks his gaze between them and sighs. He wanted to go with them. But, Carol trusted him and Sakiko with Henry. People at Alwxandria would be upset to see Lydia so he needed to protect her.

"Okay.." Sakiko slowly nods.

"Martinez, can you back 'em up?" Nanami asks.

"Uh.. Yeah. No problem," Martinez agrees.

"Na, Kiko," Daryl begins.

"It's fine. Go on to Alexandria. We'll.." Sakiko clears her throat, "We'll be fine."

Sakiko leans down to hug Henry and kisses his head. She gices Lydia a side hug and repeats the motion with Connie.

Once packed up, the group seperates in two.

--

It had been silent for a whole two minutes of tension and awkwardness. Nanami couldn't take it. Sakiko couldn't take it.

"So uh.. how are.. things..?" Sakiko asks.

"Good.. I mean.. Kind of.. I mean.." Nanami sighs.

Before, the twins had spent so long together they forgot what it was like to be apart.

Now, they'd spent so mucb time apart that they forgot what it was like to be together.

"Hey, so.. I have news," Sakiko remembers.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah.. So, do you remember mom's sister? Yumiko?"

"The lawyer, yeah," Nanami recalls, "She left us high dry in the past."

Sakiko didn't like the slight venom to his voice.

"Well.. she's alive. She's at Hilltop, actually."

Nanami felt bad for being smart and jumping to conclusions.

"Oh.. that's.." Nanami sighs, "Good."

Sakiko cringes at the pure weirdness between them. The weirdness was weird and weirding her out.

"So, Martinez?" Sakiko moves the conversation on.

"He helped me out before. I hated not knowing so.."

Sakiko nods once, pursing her lips.

"I saw Maggie and Glenn."

Sakiko's freezes in place. Nanami pauses, looking back at her.