CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE,
i bet it was a family thing.

Aiden stared at the close gate. "What the hell just happened?"

"They just left us here." Daryl replied. He looked at her, "well, third community we been at in the last couple weeks."

"Yeah," Aiden said. The two turned to find Ezekiel and saw that he, Morgan, and Jerry were already coming towards them.

"Looks like you're stuck with the King." Ezekiel said to them, "Morgan will show you where you will be staying."

"Thank you, uh, Your Majesty. I means a lot for you to let us stay here." Aiden said to him.

Ezekiel nodded, "the more the merrier."

Morgan had showed the two to their home for the time being, it was an apartment. It had two bedrooms and one bathroom. It had a small kitchen and a small living room, as well.

They had been given a crib for Elliot, diapers, baby toys, baby clothes, baby shoes. The two had also been given clothes and food for themselves. The bathroom had everything they need already.

Aiden sat on the couch in the living room with Elliot. Daryl sat on the counter in the kitchen with a sandwich in one hand and shocking, a comic book in the other hand.

"Dare?" Aiden turned around and looked at him. He looked up at her and stopped chewing mid-chew. "Finish chewing, man." She laughed.

He swallowed his food, "wha'?"

"You know you're reading a comic book, right?" Aiden asked him. He looked at the book and then back at her.

He nodded. "Yeah,"

"I didn't know you read things."

"Only if it has pictures." He replied. He hoped off of the counter and shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth. Aiden made of face of disgust.

"Gross." She mumbled.

"You're gross." Daryl grunted. Aiden rolled her eyes before smiling at him.

"Shut up, Dare," she laughed. He grinned at her before kissing her on the forehead. He looked down at Elliot who was sleeping on the couch with pillows beside him so he wouldn't fall off. He leaned down and kissed the baby on the forehead.

"We need to find him a babysitter." Daryl mumbled.

"I met a woman earlier. Her names Vivian. She said she would watch Elliot if we ever needed her to." Aiden said. Daryl looked hesitant.

"Did she look okay?" He asked her. Aiden smiled at his worried fatherly instincts.

"Yes. She said she couldn't in the mornings or late afternoons because she had training in the mornings and late afternoons. But she said anytime in between she can." Aiden informed.

Daryl nodded.

»

The woman Aiden had talked about was currently with Elliot while Aiden and Daryl walked towards Morgan.

"You went to see them, right?" Daryl asked him.

"Yeah." Morgan replied.

"Part of your deal?" Aiden quizzed him.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Daryl asked him and stepped towards him. "You're bleeding," Morgan touched the side of his head where he was bleeding from. "They did that to you. You know what they are."

"I do." Morgan said quickly.

"You know, if Carol were here, she saw all that, if she knew about Abraham... and Glenn... she'd be leading us right to 'em, ready to kill 'em all." Daryl said.

"She would. And that's why she left, man." Morgan said. Daryl looked at him and scoffed.

Aiden stood there as Daryl walked up the stairs, "one of those assholes took your stick?" She asked.

He nodded, "yeah. Benjamin, one of the younger men here is actually practicing with the stick."

Aiden smiled, "for real?" Morgan nodded. "I saw that you were showing Xavier how to use one before you left."

"Yeah, he caught the hang of it quick. I saw he had his stick with him when they were here." Morgan stated.

"Payton said it hasn't left his side." Aiden grinned, "uh, I gotta go but I'll catch ya later, Morgan."

"See ya." Morgan waved as she walked off. Aiden was informed that Daryl and Richard has both ventured off.

The brunette sat on the steps of a building with a piece of string in between her fingers. She stared at as it twisted around.

She heard footsteps approaching her and saw a man approaching her. "Uh, hi." Aiden said cautiously.

"Hello." He replied. He sat down beside her, "my name's Anthony."

"I'm Aiden." Aiden introduced herself. 

"I know who you are, Aiden." He said, "it's such a small word ya know? Running into people you know but they don't know you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked him.

"I never said my last name... I'm Anthony. Anthony Simons." He said, "Dalton Simons was my cousin. His dad was my dads brother."

"No, no, no." Aiden shot up. She watched as he pulled his gun on her.

"Tell me, Aiden. Where is my cousin?" He asked lowly.

"Dead." Aiden hissed. His lip curled up and just as he pulled the trigger a stick his hand. Aiden cried out when she felt the bullet fly into her shoulder.

She saw Benjamin standing above the man and she heard several people running towards the scene.

"What the hell happened?" They all heard Morgan ask.

Aiden panted and held her hand over the gunshot wound, "he shot me."

Ezekiel approached the scene. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"She came at me!" Anthony shouted. "I had to!"

"He's lying. He's knows someone I used to know. And it seems they both had the same psycho, violent mind set." Aiden hissed. "That's why Dalton's dead. Because he tried to kill me." She looked at Ezekiel for guidance, he nodded. This clearly hadn't been the first incident with him. Ezekiel was going against his own words. "And thats why you're gonna die, because you tried to kill me. I don't die."

»

Aiden, King Ezekiel, Jerry, and Benjamin all stood in the woods surrounding the Kingdom. A kneeling Anthony panted on the forest ground.

"I have no doubt in my mind you are just as fucked in the head as Dalton was. I bet it was a family thing. I want my voice to be the last thing you hear, you son of a bitch." She hissed and pressed the barrel of her silenced Beretta to his head, "I want you to know you were never cut out for this world, asshole." And with that she fired into his head.

»

Aiden sat beside Daryl in front of Shiva's cage. "Carol's here?"

"Yeah. In a small cabin just down the road from here." Daryl replied.

"Before we go back to the Hilltop, can we stop and see her? Elliot hasn't met his Aunt Carol yet." Aiden said. Daryl nodded.

"What the hell happened here today while I was gone?" He asked her and motioned her shoulder.

Aiden took a deep breath, "Dalton's cousin, Anthony was here. He came up to me, introduced himself. He started talking some real creepy shit before telling me his last name. Simons." She hissed the name, "then he pulled his gun on me. Asked me where Dalton was. I told him he was dead. He was gonna shot me in the head if Benjamin hadn't saved my ass. Got me good in the shoulder though. So Ezekiel gave me permission to kill the prick. So I did."

"How many people have you killed now, Aid?" Daryl asked her.

"Uh, let me think." She said. Her first two human kills. The man at the prison. The Wolves. The Savior. Now Anthony. And so many more. "Probably in the double digits by now."

Daryl nodded. "I'm gonna head back to the apartment. Get ready to leave." Aiden said. "Get Elliot's stuff together."

________________________________

word count: 1,290
episode: new best friends

and here's another edited chapter guys! two more and then it'll be time for me to edit the valiant and then the wait for reckless is on.

VIVIAN IS HERE! MY NEW BABY. y'all are gonna adore her. she's such an amazing add on the this book and she's gonna be here for a longggggg time.

but wow. anthony simons. a small but valuable death. a dirtbag, really.

TWO CHAPTERS LEFT AND THEN WE'RE ON TO THE VALIANT!!!!

crystal reed as vivian marshall