𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter forty-two; Train Car Reunion
" I was coming back. "

  RICK BURIED A bag of weapons just outside the fence line. Zeppelin followed their lead, jumping the fence and approaching the back of the building with their weapons raised.

  She was behind Daryl, who was the first to enter.

  A woman sat at a microphone, with headphones over her ears, reading out a script, while others worked on signs and maps on the far side of the room.

  She didn't care if these people were good or bad or somewhere in between. All Zeppelin cared about was finding her mom.

  "Hello."

  "Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch," A man sighed, approaching the group, "Are you here to rob us?"

  "No," Rick said, holstering his pistol, "We wanted to see you before you saw us."

  "Makes sense," The man noted, "Usually we do this where the tracks meet. Ahem. . . welcome to Terminus. I'm Gareth. Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit."

  "We have," Rick confirmed. "Rick. That's Carl, Daryl, Zeppelin, Michonne."

  Gareth raised a hand in a wave, before speaking, "You're nervous, I get it. We were all the same way. We came here for sanctuary. That what you here for?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. You found it," Gareth said, "Hey Alex! This isn't as pretty as the front; we got nothing to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer. Alex'll take you, ask you a few questions, uh, but first. . . we need to see everyone's weapons. If you could just lay them down in front of you."

  The group faltered, but after Rick agreed, everyone followed suit.

  Zeppelin carefully set a her bow at her feet, along with her knife, looking to Daryl who nodded softly. The girl raised her hands to match his stance, chewing the inside of her cheek as Alex approached them.

  "Hate to see the other guy," He noted Daryl's bruised eye and swollen lip, patting the man down.

  "You would," Rick agreed.

  "They deserve it?" Alex asked Carl as he patted him down.

  "Yes."

  Alex said nothing, moving to Zeppelin who was clearly uncomfortable. 

  She let out a breath as he finished patting her down and stepped back.

  "Just so you know, we aren't those kinds of people," Gareth said, "But we aren't stupid, either. And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid. As long as we're clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems. Just solutions."

  Alex moved to grab Michonne's sword, passing it back to the woman. He attempted to do the same to Daryl, but the man grabbed his crossbow himself.

  Zeppelin followed this example, shouldering her bow and slipping her knife back into its sheath.

  She stuck to Daryl's side, despite their squabble only minutes prior, admiring the camp as they walked further in. The gardens, the people-- but she froze as they approached a grill and Alex began handing out plates.

  She froze because she saw a woman wearing a poncho she knew had been Daryl's. She froze because she saw someone wearing shockingly familiar body armor.

  "Daryl," She whispered, grabbing his arm.

  But before Daryl could say a thing, Rick had moved, slapping a plate out of Alex's hand, pulling Herhsel, and now Glenn's, watch from his pocket and holding a gun to his head.

  "Where the hell did you get this watch?"

  The rest of their group lifted weapons, surrounding Rick toward the camp that was now armed toward them.

  "You want answers? You want anything else?" Alex said, "You get 'em when you put down the gun."

  "Look, I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle," Rick said, "How good's his aim? Where'd you get the watch?"

  "Don't do anything!" Alex yelled, "I have this! Just put it down, put it down!"

  The man lowered his rifle, which Zeppelin honestly thought was quite stupid, but elected not to voice this.

  "You wanna listen to me," Alex said, "There's a lot of us."

  "Where did you get the watch?"

  "I got it off of a dead one," The man said, "I didn't think he'd need it."

  "What about the riot gear?" Rick pushed, "The poncho?"

  "Got the riot gear off of a dead cop," Gareth said, approaching, "Found the poncho on a clothesline."

  "Gareth, we can wait."

  "Shut up, Alex."

  "You talk to me," Rick said to Gareth.

  "What's there left to say?" He asked, "You don't trust us anymore."

  "Gareth--"

  "Shut up," Gareth said, raising an empty hand.

  "Gareth please--"

  "It's okay," Garteh said, "It's okay. Rick, what do you want?"

  "Where are our people?"

  "You didn't answer the question."

  And as Gareth closed his fist, shots began ringing off. Daryl grabbed Zeppelin, quickly taking off with the group. The place was a maze of buildings and alleys, bullets following them, cutting off exits and options.

  "They're herding us," Zeppelin called as they entered a new building.

  The group faltered as they heard banging and shouts from a shipping container, but they had no choice other than to keep on running.

  They entered a room, with candles and words, on the floors and walls.

  "What the hell is this place?"

  "Thee people, I don't think they're trying to kill us."

  "No," Rick agreed, "They were aiming at our feet."

  "They're pushing us to or away from something," Zeppelin said nervously.

  They tried for a door, but it was shut before they could enter it. The next one lead to the outdoors, fence in sight-- but guns appeared through the crosslinks, snipers on the roofs-- they were just mice in a trap.

  "Drop your weapons," Gareth called from the roof, "Now. Now!"

  The group followed instructions, without many other options.

  "Ringleader, go to your left," Gareth called, "The train car, go. You do what we say, the kids go with yo. Anything else, they die, and you end up in there anyway."

  Rick looked to Carl and Zeppelin, before departing.

  "Now the archer."

  Daryl had no want to walk away without Zeppelin, but he had no doubt she'd only be ripped away from him if he tried anything.

  So he gave her a small nod and walked.

  "Now the samurai."

  Michonne left slowly, leaving only Carl and Zeppelin standing side by side.

  "Stand at the door, ring leader, archer, samurai, in that order," Gareth called.

  "The kids."

  "Go."

  Zeppelin and Carl did not hesitate, walking toward the train car.

  "Ringleader, open the door and go in."

  "I'll go in with them."

  "Don't make us kill them now."

  Rick pulled open the loud metal door, climbing inside slowly. Zeppelin and Carl approached, climbing the steps slowly and entering the dark container.

  Zeppelin instantly hurried to Daryl, burying her face in his chest as the door closed behind them.

  "I'm sorry--"

  "Zep--"

  "I'm just sorry," She said quietly, "You're not like them. I'm sorry."

  Daryl pursed his lips, hugging the girl tightly with no animosity toward her words.

  He peered up at the sound from the other side of the train car, only to see none other than Glenn Rhee step forward.

  "Rick?"

  "You're here."

  Zeppelin wasn't ready to turn around yet. She wasn't ready to leave the comfort.

  "They're our friends," Maggie said, "They helped save us."

  "Yeah," Daryl spoke, "Now they're friends of ours."

  "Yeah. For however long that'll be."

  "No. They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out."

  "Find out what?"

  "That they're screwing with the wrong people."

  Daryl squeezed Zeppelin, before whispering.

  "Think someone wants to see you, Zep."

  Zeppelin peered up at him, hope welling in her eyes. She turned slowly, scanning each familiar and unfamiliar face until she landed on one she had known her whole life.

  ". . . Mom?"

  Vex Williams stood beside her brother, their faces matching symphonies of relief and pain, of teary smiles.

  "Hi, baby," Vex whispered.

  "Mom!"

  Vex Williams fell to her knees, almost toppling right over at the impact of Zeppelin Williams.

  The woman held her daughter tightly to her, one hand cradling the back of the girl's head into her shoulder.

  For however brief, Vex had feared she may never find her.

  So having her child back in her arms, no matter the circumstances, revived a part of the woman.

  "Oh, my girl," Vex whispered, rocking her sobbing daughter for a moment, holding her impossibly tighter.

  And Zeppelin just cried, tears and snot running down her face, covering the thin shirt her mother wore, grasping to any part of her she could, clawing at her shoulders-- Zeppelin knew then, right then, she never wanted to be away from her mother ever again.

  Carl collided with her a moment later, Vex letting out a teary laugh as she pulled him into the hug as well, holding the children together in her arms.

  "You two were together?" Vex questioned, wiping Zeppelin's tears before her own.

  "Yeah," Zeppelin said quietly, holding her mother's face in her hands, "We took care of each other."

  Vex smiled sadly, reaching out to ruffle Carl's hair.

  He swatted her away, but a small smile was prevalent.

  "Uncle Dean!"

  And the excitement took over again as Zeppelin collided with Dean, who quickly scooped the girl up into a tight hug.

  "We missed you so much, Girl," Dean whispered.

  "I missed you guys more."

  Vex smiled tearily, standing, peeling her eyes away from her daughter only to finally see Rick, Michonne, and Daryl Dixon.

  Michonne acted first, approaching the woman but allowed Vex to be the one to pull her into a tight embrace.

  "We couldn't find you," Michonne said quietly.

  "I was lost," Vex said simply, letting go of the woman only to hug Rick, "Found Dean in the woods. I was shot, we had to look for meds."

  Rick quickly looked over the woman, but she assured him the wound had at least started to heal and she was in the clear, mostly.

  And then they broke apart, and Daryl stood before her with a heartbreaking expression.

  She wondered when he lost his poker face. If it was right after the prison or days into his escape. Because right now, she could see it all. The shame, the guilt, the fear.

  Vex was sure he carried guilt. For the prison falling and Hershel's death, for not coming back quick enough, for not finding her sooner.

  But all Vex could think about was how much she had wanted this. How often she dreamt about seeing her daughter and Daryl again, how the thoughts of those two kept her going when even Dean could not.

  All she could think about was that her dreams did him no justice. He looked taller in real life. Stronger. Kinder. He looked like every wish she ever had and never told. Like everything she had ever wanted in one person.

  So she took two steps and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly, and burying her face in the crook of his neck like a child would do, despite the eyes watching. She was greedy— she needed it. Needed to be closer than before, to feel like they wouldn't be apart, to know he was here and it was real.

  And after only a moment, Daryl lifted his arms and wrapped them tightly around her waist, hugging her back.

  He let out a breath into her hair, one of relief, one of peace despite their situation.

  Because he had found her.

  Because she had lived.

  Because Vex Williams was holding him.

  "I was coming back."

  "I know you were," She whispered into his shoulder, "And I was being stupid and stubborn and that's why I left."

  Daryl let out a breath, holding her closer to him-- if this was even possible. Holding her right there, right against him, like it was where she was always meant to be-- like they weren't in a grim situation with little view of escape.

  "You hurt?" She asked, pulling away but leaving a hand on his bicep as she scanned over the man.

He only shook his head, his hands still balanced on her hips, somehow unable to let go.

And then she noticed the small shine of silver poking out from the collar of his shirt, the woman placing a hand on his chest where she knew the familiar outline of dog tags rested beneath his clothing.

"Here—" Daryl said quickly, moving to pull the chain off of himself.

"Keep 'em," Vex said, patting his chest. "As a promise."

"Yeah? Of what?"

"That I'll always find you, too," Vex said quietly, daring to smile up at the man.

And she could have sworn she saw what Glenn had. The something beyond, in the way he looked down at her like she was something to be admired, to be missed.

Even if it was desperation or her mind playing tricks on her, Vex let herself bask in it, even if only for a moment. Because being looked at so gently, being touched so carefully; it felt like sunlight and she had been cold for far too long.

"Your leg—"

"We have bigger things to worry about," She said quietly, offering him a soft smile, "Worry 'bout me, later."

And it was then that Daryl knew something had changed in her, too. Because Vex Williams was looking at him and he didn't see the armor anymore. They didn't have to be alone for her to be soft, her guards were all but torn down— he saw straight into her heart.