𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter six; Hope For Chocolate Cake
" Rules are for a reason, Zep. "

  DINNER WAS SILENT. Vex wasn't entirely opposed to this, though she could tell both Dean and Zeppelin were suffering.

  "What'd you help make, baby?" Vex questioned, entirely immune to the anxiety of others.

  "Oh, the mashed potatoes," Zeppelin smiled small.

  "That's why they're so good," Vex grinned, nudging her daughter lightly.

  No one else spoke for the remainder of dinner.

  "Hey."

  Vex paused her cleaning, turning her head to see Carol with a tray full of food.

  "Hi," Vex turned fully, "Taking that to Dixon?"

  "He needs food," Carol shrugged, "Listen. . . I just wanted to thank you. For joining this search."

  Vex smiled awkwardly, nodding.

  "Your daughter visited me, too," Carol said, "Had a sense you didn't know about it."

  "I didn't," Vex sighed, looking over her shoulder to spot Zeppelin assisting Beth with cleaning dishes, "I hope she wasn't a bother."

  "Oh, not at all," Carol said quietly, "She. . . she made me the sweetest card."

  Vex turned to face Carol, her own heart softening at the woman.

  "I'm glad she could brighten your day, even if only a little," Vex said quietly.

  Carol only nodded, before retreating to give the food to Daryl, who was now lying in one of the bedrooms.

  Vex, however, slunk over to her daughter, leaning on the counter beside the girls.

  "Heard from a little birdie that you went to that camp out there," Vex drawled, earning her daughter's full attention.

  "Just to give a card," Zeppelin admitted, "And Mr. Dale gave me this book--"

  Vex sighed, ruffling her daughter's hair.

  "Did Uncle Dean know?"

  Zeppelin nodded.

  "Then he saved your butt this time," Vex said, "Rules are for a reason, Zep."

  She nodded, continuing her motion of cleaning the dishes.

  "Where did Miss Carol go?"

  Vex began putting dry dishes away.

  "To bring food to Daryl," Vex said.

  "Oh, I should've thought of that," Zeppelin grumbled.

  Vex only laughed.

  "For real," Zeppelin whined, "Mom, you save people without even trying, I just want to help, too."

  Vex didn't quite know what to say to this.

  Few people in her life ever saw her as a hero, and she surely hadn't planted the idea in her daughter's head that she was a saint. 

  But, still, somehow, Zeppelin saw the best of her.

  Vex was beginning to think that was Zeppelin's gift and burden. A heart of gold, too much kindness, and the kind of optimism a girl who had lived her life didn't often have.

  "What about dessert?" Zeppelin gasped, "If he eats dinner, he'll want dessert."

  "Baby, that man is not as nice as Carol was, I think we better--"

  "We should still give him a chance," Zeppelin said, "What if he's really nice underneath? Like you?"

  Vex narrowed her eyes.

  "Did Uncle Dean put you up to this?"

  Zeppelin giggled.

  "I'm serious, kid."

  "I know," Zeppelin continued laughing, "D'ya think Daryl likes chocolate?"

  Vex sighed, standing straight.

  "Well, if he doesn't, then there's really no hope for him, is there?"

🗡

  Daryl had hardly expected Carol's visit and was downright shocked when the door opened for a second time.

  "You should've listened when I told you to take a radio."

  He groaned at the voice.

  "Or when I told you not to take that horse," Vex noted, crossing her arms.

  "D'ya just come in here to say that?"

  Daryl sat up, only to be shocked into silence.

  "I hope you like chocolate; my mom said if you don't, then there's really no hope for you."

  Everyone who had seen her thought the same thing, but as it was Daryl's first glimpse of the girl, he couldn't help it.

  She was a normal kid.

  Not like Carl or Sophia had been-- her face was clean, hair neatly braided to stay out of her face, a clean, albeit loose, Guns N' Roses t-shirt paired with neat jeans.

  And Daryl could not fathom how anyone, anyone, let alone a child, could look completely unscathed from the apocalypse.

  "Oh, I'm Zeppelin, sorry, don't mean to be rude," She continued.

  "Zeppelin?" He repeated, "Like--"

  "The band," The girl supplied with a grin, "Do you want the cake?"

  Daryl accepted the plate hesitantly.

  "Get ready for bed, baby," Vex said, resting a hand on Zeppelin's shoulder, "I wanna talk to Daryl for a second."

  Zeppelin agreed, pressing a kiss to her mother's cheek before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her.

  Vex took a seat in a chair beside the bed, folding her arms in front of herself.

  "Listen, you're not the first person I've met that doesn't play nice with others," Vex said, "But I can't have another person to look after, so, maybe just hear me out when I talk."

  Daryl, in all honesty, wanted to retort in one way or another.

  But he couldn't deny that Vex Williams was the first and only person who had ever come to his rescue.

  "You stay to your side, I'll stay to mine," She added, "But I haven't even done anything to make you be such an asshole."

  "Just the way it is," He mumbled, taking a bite of the cake.

  "Well, it's pissing me off," Vex sighed, "So, fix it, or leave."

  She pushed herself out of the chair, entirely finished with the conversation. Vex's hand was on the doorknob when he spoke up.

  "Thanks."

  "For the cake? That was entirely Zeppelin's idea."

  "For savin' my ass."

  She turned her head.

  "Don't mention it," Vex said. "It won't happen again."

  "I'm countin' on it," Daryl responded.

  And then she left without another word.

WORD COUNT : 983