Damage Case

* Five Days Earlier *

I twirled on the ball of my feet, laughing as I skipped down the road. My glass of wine spilled over the rim onto my left hand as I carelessly stumbled, the strap of my heels dangling on my index finger in my right hand as Glenn walked beside me. He picked up his pace to a jog every so often just to keep up, a boisterous laugh coming from his throat. We had been acting like stupid kids the entire night, even though we often felt far from it now. Aaron and Eric's party had been coming to an end, but we refused to let go of the time we had tonight. My bare feet finally dragged across the freshly-cut grass leading to the gazebo down by the pond, my toes no doubt covered in black soot by now. Glenn carried the remaining bottle of wine in his hand as he followed me, taking a large gulp from it. Maggie had gone to bed about an hour ago, a wide grin on her face as she told him to not get himself into too much trouble. He kissed her goodnight and looked at me with a devilish smile on his face. I threw my heels down on the grass in a thud before chugging back the remains of my glass and placing it down gently.

"We're going up there," I said, pointing up at the roof of the gazebo. I climbed up onto the bench, placing one foot on the pillar as I grabbed onto the lip of the roof. "Don't look!" I laughed, scolding Glenn as I pushed off the pillar and hoisted myself up, my dress lifting with the angle of my legs.

"I wouldn't dare!" Glenn yelled up at me, a chuckle coming from him. Seconds later I peered over the edge, my arm dangling down to take the wine bottle from Glenn as he now hoisted his own body up.

"I haven't been this drunk since the CDC," I said, my own voice sounding like it was moving in slow motion. Glenn plopped down beside me, our feet hanging over the edge as we stared down at the pond. The world seemed lighter up here, the moon bouncing off the ripple of the water as little fireflies floated by.

"Same," Glenn exhaled, falling backwards to sprawl out on the roof. He misjudged it, smacking his head on the wood. I choked on the sip of wine I had been drinking, unable to keep myself from laughing. From the corner of my eye, I could see him harshly rubbing the back of his head like he was trying to massage away the pain. The world seemed to fall quiet for a moment, both Glenn and I sitting in silence. Then Glenn let out a breathy laugh, "Remember when you crawled into Daryl's bed thinking it was ours?"

I snickered, pushing his shoulder harshly. His eyes jerked open from his peaceful state. "Shut up. Yes," I seethed.

"Who would have thought you'd willingly share a room with him now?" he laughed. I didn't answer as he continued, "When you walked back into our room the next morning with that mortified look on your face as you said I couldn't speak a word about it if you told me," Glenn sat back up, prying the wine bottle from out of my hands and taking a swig.

I furrowed my brows and responded, "Yeah?"

"It was such a dumb childish moment, but right then I knew I loved you." I looked over at him, a stupid grin on his face. "It was the very first moment in this new world where I felt like things weren't so terrible anymore because I had found a friend that I would love dearly."

I sucked in a breath, grabbing the wine bottle from his hands and taking another sip, "Your dumbass is going to make me cry," I said, looking over at him and smiling. I placed the bottle down in my lap, fidgeting with it. He flung out the word love so effortlessly, such a difficult word for me to use. I had said it once to him jokingly. When he had come back for me when the herd had blown through the Greene's farmhouse. "I had felt that same way," I agreed, still seeming to avoid those words even though I felt them.

"When?" Glenn pressed, wanting me to share that moment with him as well.

"The night before when you had made a toast. You said I'm really glad we're both not dead… together and I knew we were in it for the long haul."

"That was such a good night," Glenn exhaled like he was remembering every moment of it that he could just now.

"It was," I agreed.

"When did you know you love Daryl?" he then asked.

"Wine makes you real sappy, you know that right?" I laughed, "We are supposed to be having fun."

Glenn rolled his eyes and pettily took the wine from me again. It was like we were in a race to see who could finish it first. "Come on Scar, this is fun. The moon is cascading over the water, the air is warm, the bugs are singing, my head is dizzy-"

"Fine!" I laughed, cutting his rant off. He was right though, the wine gave us a blanket of liquid courage, although we could talk about almost anything with ease, my spinning head did make this conversation seem lighter than it was.

"I'm waitingggg," he sang and I hadn't realized how long I had been sitting here quietly in my head.

I sighed, "I think I knew I felt something for him on that car ride to the CDC. At the time I didn't even know what it was that I was feeling, but there was this moment right as we were driving away from where we had left Jim against the tree… and all he did was place his hand over mine and I had felt calm." Glenn now offered the bottle to me, knowing I needed a drink. "The moment I knew I loved him was during the herd attack on the farm. He was about to ride off on his bike when he turned around and looked at me. All he said was You good? Like he couldn't leave until he knew I was alright. And at that moment I knew I was good because I loved him and he loved me." I took a long, deep chug from the bottle. "We never had to say it," I added.

"Scarlett," Glenn boomed, louder than he probably intended to, "You still have not told him that you love him?" He sounded like a mother hen.

"Don't get mad at me. Neither has he," I defended myself. "And besides I do seem to recall a certain car ride where you panicked because Maggie told you she loved you and you walked away like an idiot," I fought, my voice light as I snickered.

"I knew the moment I met her," he confessed, "and I grew the balls and eventually said it to her." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're just pathetic," he huffed.

I sent him a cold side glare. "I'm a damage case, there's a difference," I scowled at him. "Can you go back to telling me how much you love me, you were much nicer then."

"Rock, paper, scissors right now," he demanded, turning his body toward me.

"What?" I shook my head.

"If I win; you finally tell Daryl you love him. If you win; you go back to your pathetic we don't need to say it because we both already know." He had one hand out flat in front of him, the other in a fist resting on top.

"You have got to be kidding me?" I laughed, not thinking he was serious.

"Do it!" he pressed, his face straight.

"You have a baby on the way and you want to play a childish game to make a decision?"

"Scar."

"Fine," I gritted my teeth, turning my body toward him and placing my right fist in the palm of my left hand.

"Rock, paper, scissors," we both chanted at once.

I drew scissors and he drew rock. He bumped his hand on top of mine, a wild grin on his face as I scowled once more.

* Present Time *

We were gearing up for war. Everyone had their suspicions about the possibility that the satellite base had only been an outpost for the Saviours, but being ambushed by Dwight and his crew on the train tracks was more than enough proof. We knew it was only a matter of time before the Saviours would come for us, roping us into this so-called business contract by killing whoever they want and taking whatever they want.

It was mid-morning as I walked down the main street of Alexandria. I looked up to see Sasha, Rosita, and Lincoln standing on watch at the front gate. To my right a few of the less experienced members of the town stood spaced out in the patch of grass leading down to the pond, all of them participating in their morning machete practice. Rosita must have left for the moment to talk to Linc as she was usually instructing the group.

I hadn't seen Daryl since yesterday. After waiting in the infirmary for Eugene to wake up from the bullet that had grazed his abdomen, Daryl had disappeared. Some of the antibiotics that Dennise had on her list quite possibly were the only reason Eugene survived any sort of infection. I knew once we had witnessed Eugene waking up, Daryl had gone to dig Dennise's grave. Each of us attempted to give him a hand, but he insisted he wanted to do it alone. The keychain of her brother's name squeezed tightly underneath his white knuckles. He had come to bed well after I had fallen asleep and left before I got up. I knew that all he needed right now was space to grieve the loss of another one of us. Another one of us had died before our very eyes. Died at the hands of a man that Daryl once had the chance to kill, himself.

I walked across the grass, passing by the lessons and headed straight toward Glenn, Maggie, and Michonne huddled around our armoury. Maggie had used a small table to load up the magazines of some of our smaller guns, while the larger ones sat stored in a large garbage bin beside her.

"We'll have these, but we should hide a few," Maggie said as soon as I approached the table. "That way we can find 'em, but strangers can't." Glenn nodded his head in agreement. "In case anyone gets in."

Michonne's face scrunched together at Maggie's percussion but remained silent.

"They won't," Glenn smiled, still trying to reassure his wife when she looked up at him.

The sound of a motorcycle engine revving caused all of our heads to snap around toward the main street. "Oh, no," Michonne breathed out as we beheld Daryl speeding by on his bike. I cursed under my breath, knowing exactly what he was about to do. My heart lept into my throat as I began running back down the road toward the front gate.

"What the hell is he doing?" Glenn said from behind me, falling into a sprint only a couple of feet back.

"Something he shouldn't," I yelled back.

"We gotta stop him," Glenn ordered.

I was still too far away, rounding the corner as I watched Daryl rip open the gate, Abraham yelling at him for specifics on where he was headed.

"Daryl!" I shouted at him.

He looked back at me as I ran toward him, his leg swinging over his bike and revving the engine once more. "Scar, don't," he boomed back at me. His face was hard, but his eyes read something different. Regret? Sorrow? I was ready to run in front of his bike and throw my hands down on the bars, but I was still too far away. He knew I would never get to him in time. He knew I wasn't able to stop him from going and took off down the road within seconds for that very reason. He didn't want to give me the chance to talk him out of it. He was going after Dwight.

By now Glenn and Michonne pulled up in the van, ready to go after him. Abraham jumped in front of it with his hands raised. "Whoa! Make room for my freckled ass!" he yelled.

Rosita walked right by him, "No. Cover my watch. You stay," she demanded, hoping in the back seat behind Michonne.

I ran around to the other side, ready to rip open the passenger side door and get in when the handle clicked in protest, the door not budging. Glenn had locked it. "Let me come with you, Glenn!" I yelled at him through the open window.

"We should keep numbers here," he said. I looked past him at Michonne, she gave me an apologetic look.

"Bullshit!" I seethed, "Glenn I need to go! I can get him to come back."

"Scar, you just saw him. He's not thinking straight--"

"Rock, paper, scissors!" I demanded. "If I win you switch places with me right now." I knew it was stupid, but it was the only way I knew Glenn would let me get into that van. We had been drunk as skunks when he made the rule but I knew he'd stand by it.

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes narrowing like he wanted to turn to Michonne and tell her to hit the gas. But, instead, he raised his hands. We ponded our hands down against our palms silently this time, not finding the game very amusing anymore. I drew my pick and Glenn covered his hand around my fist, winning again.

"I'm sorry," he said, "Stay with Maggie for me, please."

I watched as the van sped off, Maggie stepping beside me as we watched them disappear down the road.