Next morning came in a flash. I woke up to the warmth of Maggie snuggling next to me.
I didn't immediately get up; I allowed myself to stay in bed for a while longer.
I think I deserved that after everything that happened over the past weeks.
Letting out a deep sigh of relief, I closed my eyes again and continued resting.
It wasn't until about an hour later that I felt Maggie stir next to me that I opened my eyes again.
She propped herself up on one elbow, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she blinked down at me.
A small smile spread across her face when she noticed I was still under the covers.
"Look at you," she murmured, her voice raspy from sleep. "Still in bed? Been forever since you last stayed this late."
"I'm taking things slow today," I said, stretching my arms over my head until my joints popped.
"Now that the threat of Woodbury is dealt with, we've got a minute to breathe."
"Wish it could be like this every day," she said.
I swung my legs out of bed, standing up half-naked in my boxers, and walked over to the wooden dresser to grab a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
Behind me, Maggie let out a loud, flirtatious whistle.
"Damn," she grinned, leaning back against the pillows and letting the blanket slip down a bit.
"Wouldn't mind keeping that hot piece of ass in this bed for a few more hours."
I laughed, pulling my shirt over my head and turning back to look at her. "Down, girl. Leave that for tonight; we've still got a farm to run."
"Worth a shot," she chuckled, rolling back into the sheets.
Chuckling as I laced up my boots, I stepped out of the bedroom door and headed down the hallway toward the kitchen.
The kitchen was already brimming with people when I got there.
Guess it's to be expected—I did come late by almost an hour compared to how usually I come.
The moment I walked into the doorway, the whole room seemed to notice.
"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence!" Shane called out from his spot against the table, a cup of black coffee in his hand.
"Thought maybe a walker crawled into your room and bit you in your sleep, or maybe Maggie just wore you out" Merle cackled, leaning over the table with his boots kicked up on a spare chair.
Rick chuckled from the corner, shaking his head, while Morgan smirked into his mug.
I just shook my head, chuckling as I walked past them. "I'm taking it slow now that we don't have a sword hanging over our heads anymore. You guys oughta try it sometime."
The guys nodded in agreement, the lighthearted banter settling down as they went back to their own breakfasts.
They knew as well as I did how rare a quiet morning was around here.
I went straight for my usual seat at the head of the table while grabbing an empty mug to fill with coffee as I sat down.
Carol came by with a plate of hot food—eggs, bacon, and homemade sausages that smelled incredible.
"Enjoy," she said, smiling gently as she set the plate down in front of me.
"Thanks, Carol. It looks delicious," I said.
Carol just nodded gently before she returned to help Jenny, who was already at the counter cutting up vegetables and preparing lunch for the rest of the crew.
Around the table, the guys kept up a steady stream of talk.
Shane was arguing with Rick about training schedules for the rest, while Glenn was telling Jim about a rattling noise coming from the water pump down by the well.
Daryl sat quietly off to the side, carving a new feather notch into a crossbow bolt with his pocketknife, occasionally tossing in a short grunt whenever Merle said something stupid.
It was normal everyday farm talk.
No panicking, no shouting, no emergency runs to plan—and I liked it that way.
I dug into my food, taking my time to appreciate the flavors now that no pressing issues are waiting.
Half an hour later, I finished the last bite on the plate and washing it down with the rest of my lukewarm black coffee.
As soon as I finished breakfast, I stood up from the table.
"Thanks for the food, ladies," I called out over the noise to Carol and Jenny. "Compliments to the chefs."
Carol turned around with a warm smile. "You're most welcome, Zephyr. Glad you liked it!"
"Just make sure you leave room for lunch later!" Jenny added with a quick laugh.
I then tossed the dirty plate in the sink and headed out to the porch.
Stepping out onto the porch, I took a deep breath, feeling the cold morning air fill my lungs.
It was crisp and clear out, the sun barely climbing over the tops of the pine trees, burning off the thin layer of morning mist resting over the dirt driveway.
I stretched my shoulders, buttoned up my jacket, and immediately headed for the new lodging where we imprisoned the Governor.
I walked down the gravel path, nodding back to everyone who greeted me on the way.
Otis gave me a quick wave from the barn, and Patricia smiled as she carried a bucket of feed toward the chicken coop.
The farm was moving, people were working, everything was looking great.
When I got to the lodging building, I immediately spotted T-Dog and Morales standing guard right outside the thick wooden door.
Both of them had their rifles slung over their shoulders, watching the perimeter to make sure neither the Governor nor the three guys we had brought back before could even think about making an escape.
"Morning, Zephyr," Morales said, straightening up as I walked up the porch steps.
"Morning," I replied, resting my hands on my hips. "How've they been behaving back here?"
"The three Woodbury guys are quiet," T-Dog said, jerking his thumb toward the far end of the hallway. "Aside from the first day where they were causing a ruckus, they've been sitting on their cots, keeping their mouths shut."
"And our special guest?" I asked, looking toward the heavy door at the end of the hall.
"The Governor?" Morales scoffed. "He hasn't stayed quiet from the moment he woke up. Cursing, thrashing around, yelling for someone to let him out. Merle had to go in there earlier and tell him to shut the hell up before he lost his other eye."
I hummed, looking at the deadbolt on the frame. "Open the door to the Governor's room," I told them.
The two nodded, stepping forward. T-Dog slid the heavy brass bolt back with a sharp metallic clink while Morales grabbed the iron handle and pulled the door wide open.
I stepped inside. The room was small, smaller than most rooms here as it was supposed to be a closet after all, with only a narrow glass window near the ceiling letting in a sliver of morning light.
The Governor was laying on the floor in the middle of the room, his hands tightly bound behind his back with handcuffs, his ankles cuffed together at the legs with an additional thick rope wrapping around him.
His clothes were torn and covered in dirt, and his hair was a greasy, matted mess over his face.
The moment the Governor noticed me step across the threshold, his head snapped up.
He turned and glared at me, his eyes burning with pure, unadulterated hatred.
His jaw twitched, and he snarled at me through gritted teeth.
"It's you again! Who the fuck are you?!"
I stopped a few feet in front of him, keeping my hands casually tucked into my jacket pockets as I looked down at him. cracking a grin.
"Now, that would be telling, wouldn't it?"
(To be continued...)