ONLY TIME WILL TELL

Aaron and he were just finishing up a supply run when he hears a rustling in the woods behind the store. It couldn’t be walkers because they tended to make a lot of noise and these seemed to be fairly quiet, cautious movements he heard. It could be an animal, but he doubted it. He signals to Aaron to be quiet by pressing his index finger to his lips, grabs his crossbow and points it in the direction of the noise. Aaron freezes and stares at Daryl with wide eyed fear, lifting his long sword-like knife. “Walkers?” he whispers quietly. Daryl shakes his head no and cautiously moves forward. He takes a step through the trees moving as stealthily as possible, turning in each direction as he passes the tree line. As he passes a second line of trees he feels cold steel against his neck. “That’s close enough.” he hears a woman say. He turns his head in her direction to his right and looks over the girl with the drop on him and lifts his crossbow in defeat. He is staring into a pair of hazel green eyes and the soft tan, freckled face of a blonde woman in a hood. A look of recognition crosses her face suddenly, which takes him by surprise. “Daryl...Daryl Dixon?” He stares at her in confusion. “Have we met before?” he asks. “I don’t expect you would remember me.” She replies. He looks at her for a moment, trying to place her face. She looked familiar, as if from a dream, but he just could not place her.  “Well, bein’ that we’re old friends, how ‘bout droppin’ the knife?” He requests. “I’m sorry, but that’s a big no-go. Ya see it’s the end of the world and even old friends can be real assholes nowadays.” she replies with a smirk and a shrug. Daryl had to admire her cheeky response, but was getting a little aggravated with this girl. Aaron steps quietly behind her aiming his pistol at her head, shaking ever so slightly. Thankful that he brought him, Daryl chuckles: “Yeah I can understand that, but ya seem to be alone and we’re flankin’ your ass.” he says nodding his chin slightly, gesturing for her to turn around. Aaron clears his throat and presses the gun to her head. “Shit.” She says as she drops the knife in defeat and raises her hands. As she does Daryl takes the opportunity to aim his crossbow at her again. “Listen I’m sorry. Please just take my supplies if you want, but leave me be. I don’t want any trouble. Just take my things and be on your way…” She starts to plead with them as Daryl comes over and pushes her hood down. She shakes her head at him furrowing her brow. “We don’ need your supplies.” Daryl gruffly responds. “And we’re not gonna do anything to you.” He says as he backs up. She stares at him with daggers in her eyes. Daryl scowls back at her through his long brown hair. “What do you want then?” She asks. “What’s your name?” says Aaron as he lowers his gun and comes to face her. Daryl keeps his crossbow pointed at her, but gives Aaron the room to speak. “Seriously? What does it matter?” she says looking over a clean-cut man with classic good looks, curly brown hair, and brown eyes. “Turn around.” Daryl commands. She does with her hands still raised. Aaron tucks his pistol in a holster and pats her down for weapons while continuing to interview her. “Are you alone? Do you come from a group?” asks Aaron. “No. I...I don’t have anybody.” she responds. “That wouldn’t be a lie now would it?” Says Daryl gruffly. “Look I had a group before, but they’re all gone now. Why the f**k would I lie? I have nothing to lose, I have nobody, I am nobody.” she says in offense, turning her head to the right to address him. Aaron presses her arm and she turns back around. “Backpack” says Daryl to Aaron, pointing behind her. Aaron goes to it and searches for any weapons. He pulls out a semi-automatic. Daryl fidgets, shifting his weight from foot to foot, anxious to be done with the pleasantries.  “It’s not loaded.” she says. “Ran out of bullets not too long ago...lucky for you.” she smirks again. Aaron removes the clip to be sure and it’s empty. “Don’t forget the chamber.” she says to him sarcastically, so he pulls back the hammer and confirms it’s empty then puts it back in her backpack. Daryl was getting impatient. “How many walkers have you killed?” asks Daryl. “Walkers? Oh, dead guys….uh, I don’t know, probably in the thousands…” she responds. “How many people have you killed?” asks Daryl. She takes a moment to think, looking at the ground. “Around 5 or 6 I would say. I don’t keep track.” “Why did you kill ‘em?” asks Daryl. “Because I had to.” She responds looking back at him smoldering. “How long have you been out here by yourself?” continues Aaron. “Seriously, what’s with these questions?” She says frustrated as she looks past Aaron to Daryl, dropping her hands momentarily. “Answer the question if you don’t want a bolt through your eye.” responds Daryl aiming his crossbow higher.  She lifts her hands again in defense and licks her dry lips in uncertainty, considering the time that has passed. She shifts her weight from leg to leg as she responds, “Uh...let’s see...it’s been about three years since the outbreak...one year underground….uh I guess about a year, roughly. I don’t really have exact numbers here since calendars have gone out of style.” Daryl again had to admire how she could maintain such a sarcastic demeanor after all this time. “How have you survived this long without a group or encountering others?” asks Aaron. “I never said I hadn’t encountered others, I just said I’m not part of a group currently. I’ve met plenty on the road, but I don’t hang around to get all buddy-buddy....Shit, this is probably the longest conversation I’ve had in some time…” Aaron takes a moment to consider what she tells him, while in the meantime a few undead start approaching them from the woods. “Are we gonna take this somewhere else or did you want those hostiles to join us?” says the woman, gesturing in their direction. “Got it” says Daryl as he moves and shoots one in the eye. He reloads quickly and shoots the second. The woman drops her hands, reaches down and grabs her knife as Daryl runs to the third and stabs it through its temple with a knife. He quickly loads his crossbow and points it at her again. She is holding her knife, but quickly drops it as he turns to her. “Damn you’re quick.” she says.  “Pick that up and grab your things.” Says Daryl “We’re going into that store; we just cleared it and should be a good place to explain things.” “Explain what?” She asks as she picks the knife back up and puts it in a holster on her belt then grabs her backpack from the ground and straps it to her back. “Not here, there.” Daryl responds while pointing to the building. “Ladies first.” At those words she rolls her eyes. Daryl scoffs at her brazen attitude. As she walks towards the building Daryl walks right behind her with the crossbow still trained at her backside and Aaron follows up the rear. They enter a dilapidated pharmacy that has been cleared out of any useful medicines and just contains the remainders of tchotchkes and useless garbage. Daryl points her to a counter and asks her to turn around as Aaron closes the door behind them. Aaron again approaches the woman, but Daryl keeps his crossbow down. “So you say you’ve been out there almost a year by yourself. How have you survived?” asks Aaron. “Okay, these questions, really?” The look Daryl gives her makes her roll her eyes again and answer incredulously: “I guess I just live day by day. I scavenge for food here and there, keep moving…try to stay quiet, do what I have to do, but try not to do anything stupid. Clearly I’m having a bad day.” “I wouldn’t say that.” says Aaron. “What if I told you we are part of a safe community of people who help each other survive?” “I would say ‘bullshit’ and ‘I would rather not go back to your so called community.’” “Look.” Aaron reaches in his bag and pulls out photos of Alexandria that he previously showed to Rick’s group and others before. “These are our walls, and the housing...here’s some of our residents, sorry there aren’t many in these photos, but we ran out of film. I’m hoping we find more on other runs. We have around 30 or so people now...” She takes the photos and looks through them carefully, examining each one and thinking of the possibilities. “How do I know this is real? How can I trust either of you?” She asks looking to Aaron then Daryl. “Listen, either you can come with us and see for yourself or we’ll let you go on your way. They’ll be expectin’ us back so we can’t sit here and chit-chat all day girl.” says Daryl. “Besides, you know who I am and we don’t even know your name.” I can’t believe he doesn’t remember me. She takes a minute to think it over. It was clear that they didn’t mean to hurt her or they would have done that already. Worst case would be that they are just biding their time before they try to kill her, but best case: this place is real and a chance for food and shelter for the night. Seeing Daryl also seemed to awaken something in her that she hadn’t felt in a long time. The benefits seemed to far outweigh the negatives. Having made her decision she turns to Aaron. “Drill Sergeant Jolene Baker.” She says with a salute. “Call me Jo. And you?” She says, reaching her hand out and looking at Aaron. “I’m Aaron. It’s nice to meet you Jo.” He says shaking her hand. Daryl then realizes he remembers where he knew her. She was the daughter of his Mother’s friend. A girl he never thought he would see again. Daryl met her when he was nine years old, just after his Mother died. She looked very different from the slender, confident woman he looked at now. “So how far is this place?” She asks. “Maybe a mile or two east.” replies Daryl biting his inner lip and pacing in impatience. “Okay, lead the way.” She says as she hands back the photos. Aaron leads them back to Alexandria talking to Jolene the whole time about the community. It seems to Jo that he isn’t comfortable walking in silence which is okay with her because she would prefer to listen rather than talk. Luckily, head nods seem to be working as he continues to talk about his boyfriend, how others came to be at their community, how they are expanding, etc. She was surprised to see Daryl again after all this time and he looked good, considering. His sleeveless shirt and motorcycle vest make him look like a scary redneck badass. Daryl walks behind them quietly keeping his crossbow at the ready in case they run into any trouble along the way. As they walk Daryl looks over Jolene’s appearance. She has removed her jacket exposing her dirty blond hair, tied back with what looks like a rubber band, allowing him to see all the freckles on her neck. It looks like she hasn’t bathed in months. She’s wearing shorts and Daryl can’t help noticing how her ass nicely fills out the denim fabric. Her black combat boots look what would be considered ‘expensive’ in the old world, but again covered in months of dirt and debris. Her tank top seems like it has been stretched out from days of wear and hangs loosely on her thin frame. Although she’s thin she’s lean, he notes, with good muscle tone in her arms and legs so she would probably be able to handle herself in a fight. He hears his name in their conversation which pulls him out of his thoughts. “...Daryl. You said you knew him?” Aaron asks. “Well yeah… After his Mom died my Mom became really worried about him. They were best friends growing up, his Mom and mine. I was actually named after her. Anyway, we saw each other a lot back then, but I don’t think he ever really liked me, just sort of put up with me.” Jolene responds. “I should have stayed in Georgia with him, maybe things wouldn’t have been so bad.” This is the most that she had talked this whole time and what the f**k was she saying? Stayed with him? What f*****g bullshit. Who would want that life?! Daryl was outwardly scowling now, listening to their conversation. “I left for school and he stayed here to be with his brother.” She says. Jolene takes a chance to look back at Daryl who is squinting and scowling in her direction. Embarrassed, she turns back to Aaron. “But I was just a stupid kid, he didn’t care.” She goes silent and Aaron, realizing the tension, continues telling her about the people in Alexandria and what to expect.