𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter fifteen; A Family Affair
" I can't take back what I did or didn't do. "

ZEPPELIN WEPT AT Dale's funeral. She hadn't known him for long, but she'd known him enough.

  So there she stood, with her copy of 'Journey to the Center of the Earth', bundled up as the weather had slowly grown colder, crying for him.

  And Vex had held her daughter. 

  But what the woman, and her brother, were more concerned with, was the changing tides that appeared to be coming in Rick's speech.

  The first change happened that very day.

  "We can clear out-- give everyone more room."

  "Vex," Hershel said raising an eyebrow, "You made your choice. Stick to your word."

  The group eyed Vex, even Rick holding his breath.

  "I'll take the pickup, and get the rest of our supplies," Vex said, shoving her hands in the pockets of her jacket, "Zep, Dean, and I'll move into one room; enough room for someone else to crash on the floor. We could make it comfortable; sleepin' bag, blankets."

  "Pillow fort," Zeppelin smiled small, "Come on, who's with me?"

  "Sounds comfortable to me," Carol smiled.

  Zeppelin pumped her fists in the air out of excitement, earning a laugh from Carol.

  "Supplies, what are we talkin'?" Rick said.

  "Food, water, couple of meds," Vex sighed, "Dean was a prepper."

  "And look who was right," Dean clapped.

  Vex rolled her eyes, shoving her brother's shoulder.

  "Lots of baby stuff, too," Dean pointed, "Bought shit like crazy when V told me she was pregnant. Formula, clothes, baby medicine."

  "That's. . . wow," Lori breathed, "Thank you."

  "Well, it won't do much for Zep anymore," Dean grinned, "Don't mention it."

  "Take someone with you," Rick nodded, "We can't keep on goin' on solo missions."

  "Alright," Vex said, "It's quick and easy-- no danger involved, and we'll take a walkie."

  "Want me to come?" Dean offered.

  Vex looked to Zeppelin.

  "I can look after her," Carol offered, "Set up that blanket fort."

  "Yes!" Zeppelin said, grabbing Carol's hand, "Mom, please?"

  Vex laughed, nodding.

  "You be good, help Miss Carol bring her things inside," Vex said, ruffling her daughter's hair.

  Zeppelin nodded eagerly, tugging Carol toward the house.

  "Daryl and I'll take Randy out today," Rick told Vex, "We'll be back late, though- can you take watch with T-Dog when you're back?"

  "Nothin' I'm better at," Vex smiled, nodding to T-Dog who grinned in response, "Alright, we'll be back in 'bout two hours."

  Rick nodded, patting Vex's shoulder as she passed.

  The woman loaded up rather quickly, only after scarfing down some food. Dean had gathered a couple of empty bags, as well as some empty boxes, and loaded them into the bed of his pickup truck. 

  "We're getting everything?" Vex asked.

  "That's the plan unless it doesn't all fit," Dean laughed.

  "We really doin' this?" Vex questioned, leaning on the truck, "Are we really putting all of our eggs in this basket?"

  Dean nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder.

  "Carol adores Zep," He started, "Rick's already puttin' faith in you. You saved Daryl's ass, and he's takin' your kid out huntin'. You're already there, V. You just haven't spent the time with them yet."

  "Because, I know I can't sign up to protect this many people, it's us before--"

  "There's no 'us' and 'them' anymore," Dean said, "Zep comes first, I understand that, and I'll stand by you on for the rest of her damn life. But it's not about you protecting them or not. We're all together, now, Vex. It's about protecting each other."

  "We had such a safe life."

  Dean sighed, shaking his head.

  "Dean, I'm just saying, a fucking bunker is--"

  "It's not gonna last."

  "What?" Vex creased her brow, "What do you mean?"

  "I mean solar panels only last so long when someone doesn't know how to fix them," He said quietly, "A water filtration system, too. Those things go while we're in that house? We're locked inside a metal box until we starve to death."

  Vex let out a long breath at this revelation.

  "You didn't-- you didn't learn how to take care of that shit?"

  "Of course, I didn't, Vex," Dean said, flinging his arms out, "I went to an art college and then lived off the money Dad left me, I'm not a survivalist, I was just a fucking nutcase!"

  Vex laughed in disbelief.

  "We would've had to leave sooner or later, and with a group like this, we'd be stupid to pass it up," Dean urged.

  "You," Vex pointed, "Are such an idiot."

  "I thought we already established that," Dean stressed, "Listen, there are things I can do-- I can hunt, shoot, damnit I am wonderful at following directions. But surviving on my own, without any real knowledge of generators and plumbing and electricity. . . I can't do that. I'm no good for it. And I am sorry, okay? I am sorry I didn't learn the shit when I could, and I didn't make the right choices, but the one I'm makin' now, the one I'm asking you to make-- I think it's the right one, V."

  Vex chewed the inside of her cheek, crossing her arms.

  "I'm driving," She said, snatching the keys from him, before thumping him on the back of the head, "And you're literally never in charge ever again."

  "I didn't think I had been in charge," Dean laughed.

  Vex scoffed but hopped into the driver's seat as Dean joined her in the passenger. 

🗡

  They entered the home, making short work of the supplies in the basement.

  Vex was only slightly nervous she'd be met with criticism that they hadn't brought these things sooner.

  "Why was this out?" Dean laughed, spotting an open whiskey bottle on the coffee table, "You haven't had a drink since--"

  The words died in his mouth as Vex walked through the hall with a large box filled to the brim, not daring to cast him a single glance.

  "V. . ."

  "Not a big deal," She responded as he followed her to the truck, "Let it go."

  "You gotta talk to me about this kinda shit, Vex."

  "Dean, I'm asking you to let this go," Vex said calmly, entering the home again and continuing to clear out the basement shelves.

  "Yeah, and I'm sayin' I can't," Dean strained, "I just wanna make sure you're okay."

  "Yeah."

  "Vex, I wish you'd just talk about this shit," He stressed, "I-- I mean you barely even talked about your divorce, and now--"

  "Listen, Dean, I went through a lotta life without you there," She turned, pointing to him, "I went through a lot of shit because you weren't there. You think if you were there, you woulda let me be with Paul? You think I even would've met him if you were there?"

  "That's not fair. . ."

  "You wanted me to talk, I'm talking," She yelled, "You weren't there. You were in New York, going to art school, hooking up with random people, while I was trying to prove myself to our father. I did the things he wanted from you, I got married, I had a kid, I joined the Navy-- the fucking SEALs! You weren't even there when Zep was born! You were too busy calling me an idiot for being in the military!"

  Dean shook his head.

  "And-- and then I get back from my first deployment," She continued, her voice cracking, "And you call me, for the first time in years, to tell me dad is dead. And then I find out he left me a nickel-- a goddamn nickel when I had an abusive husband and a fucking child to feed! And you-- you what, you built a bunker that's no use in the real apocalypse, and start getting involved in my life because you had no one else anymore--"

  "That's not true--"

  "Well, when Dad was alive, you didn't care to be around me or Zep--!"

  "When Dad was alive, I was still scared," Dean argued, "Who used to get beat up for not being manly enough. So-- so yeah, I left when I could. I went somewhere I'd be accepted, and-- and I took enough acid that I thought the world would end so I spent our dad's money on a house for me and you and Zeppelin if it did. And-- and I didn't reach out to you before he died, because I was a fucking pussy, and I-- I thought you'd think the same things that Dad did."

  "Well, that's fucking stupid!" She yelled, "What the hell!"

  "I don't know, I was a kid!"

  "I was, too," Vex said quietly.

  Dean chewed his lip for a moment.

  "I can't take back what I did or didn't do," He said, "But I'm trying. I'm trying to be there, to be the big brother you should have had, and the uncle that Zeppelin deserves. Just let me."

  Vex stared at him for a long moment, no indication of softening in her eyes.

  Until she spoke, "I was going through something. Just a blip. It's gone now. That's what the whiskey was."

  Dean nodded.

  "We good now?"

  "We're good, V," He said, pulling her into a hug.

  And she let her older brother hug her for what felt like the first time in decades.

WORD COUNT : 1523