Now, Billy knows that he had many plans for this place, Woodbury, but he swears...
Becoming attached to a woman wasn't one of them at all...it felt like she just decided to kick the door and enter the thing called his shitty boring life here and signed her name in its cracked walls.
It all started with a fucking massage, not the oily kind, mind you...
He was suffering from a muscle strain on his shoulder, and she told him she could help.
That led to that, a dinner here, a story there, and now Billy was thinking about what she may be really feeling toward him instead of calling for Sasuke.
You can't blame him; he is but a human, and he wished to have a little more of this before getting right back to the bloody serious work.
Martha has grown on him, yeah, but that didn't change who he is and what he was doing.
He just felt complicated and hoped she would come to trust and believe him, instead of that shitty governor.
"Why the long face?" Martha peeked from the kitchen, seeing him leaning back on the sofa and looking up at the ceiling.
"Nothing, just thinking...but you know, there was no need for this."
"There is, otherwise you would be eating that cold junk and cleaning your piece." She smiled, putting a plate on the table, and Billy stood up, deciding to help.
"Will Mia be okay with this? I don't think she likes my presence here," Billy said, asking her about her daughter while setting the last plate.
The girl did nothing disrespectful, but he just felt that he shouldn't be here right now.
"You are overthinking it; she let you in and went to her room without slapping you. That means she approved of you."
"I can bet on my three damn legs that she didn't." The girl's glare and Katniss's when she first saw him were identical; that wasn't approval in his book.
"Huh? You got only two."
And Billy smirked at that...
"Darling, you just haven't seen the third yet."
"Ohoh, so when are you planning to introduce me to it?" She winked at him.
He laughed, feeling at ease, but his mind as usual, threw at him the worst possible scenario to mess with his mood. He tried not to think about it, but in the end, he couldn't stop it.
"I'll be frank, is this all a play from the governor?" Billy just couldn't believe that she fell from the fucking sky, deciding to take care of little ol' him so suddenly; he wasn't some baby-faced ninja.
Martha put the cup she was holding down with more force than necessary, and she looked at him, her smile gone.
"I thought you were smarter; do you think I would be doing this in my house, where my daughter sleeps, if it was some...what? Evil conspiracy to trap your highness. And you think I would touch someone that way just because I was told? Like a damnable prostitute? Out, there's no food for you tonight. I expect an apology tomorrow and a gift."
Billy stood there, unable to react.
He... knows she is some kind of Spartan when she becomes angry; that much was clear from what he heard around here, but this still caught him off-guard.
As it was the first time, her beautiful face held no smile.
"I know, I fucked up—" "Language, Billy." Martha cut him with a sigh and signaled him to sit.
"I get it; you aren't fond of this place; you even faked your name. I don't know your reasons, but you don't like Philip; that much is clear to me. Last time I spoke well about him, that hand nearly shattered your bottle of whiskey." She paused seeing his surprised face
"Women are naturally perceptive, especially if it concerns their interests."
"I'm torn between feeling proud here or feeling down."
"You should feel hungry, eat, and go to sleep; tomorrow we will talk." He scratched the awkwardness but looked at her for a second. Why did she point at that door when she said "Go to sleep" part?
"Don't look at me like that. You are sleeping here; I can join you, only to sleep of course, so you won't fear the ^spy^ me running at night to tell the governor. I know you wouldn't get a wink of sleep if you left for your apartment."
"I don't really care about him; I just wanted to know which side you are on." Billy couldn't believe a random woman was able to read him like an open book.
"There are sides? Well, I'm in mine; keep your mess away from Mia and we are good. Otherwise, I swear, I'll dig your balls out if you and whatever you are planning endanger her."
Billy could only nod at that, taking a bite from his salad. Internally, though, it was another story...
'And here I was boasting about my spying skills. ^Giving you their underwear colors^. MY ASS!! You can't even hide the fact you aren't good with that batshit Governor from her. Fucking awesome, good thing he isn't here.' Just imagining the mocking look of some ninja ticked him off.
'Maybe she is just the better spy; no way I'm that bad.'
And just like that... Billy got his dinner, his first relieved sleep hugging a woman in what was a fucking long time, and not thinking about the world ending.
...
The next morning Billy woke up, finding his breakfast ready, did his usual routine and watch duty, had lunch, and made a promise to Martha that his actions and reasons weren't and won't be shameful nor harmful.
Then after hours of boring watch duty and a bunch of headbutts with that clown Dixon.
Billy went to his apartment, as in the end, Mia was a grown-up, and he didn't want her to feel awkward with him spending too much time in their house.
Billy opened the door to his apartment with a sigh, dropping his jacket on the chair only to stiffen, taking out his revolver.
"Easy, it's me."
"Damn boy, you scared the shit out of me," Billy whispered, seeing Sasuke emerge from a shadowed corner like he was a part of it.
"How are you doing, old man?"
"I'm good; you came faster than expected. I thought you wouldn't reach here until the evening." Billy wasn't even sure how the fuck he came all the way here to his apartment without anyone noticing.
"Others are sending their regards, here." Sasuke tossed him a bottle of fruit juice.
"Ciri and Sophia made it, so don't you dare complain if it is sour or too sweet."
"Heh, I will try to not. They doing good?"
"Mhm, everything is fine."
"I don't know when the person keeping an eye on me will be around here; we shouldn't speak, right?"
"Don't you worry, I placed a sound-absorbing seal." Sasuke pointed at a paper stuck to the exit door.
"Another piece of woodoo voodoo shit I see, practical."
"Yep, especially when doing naughty things, so...how did it go?" Billy chuckled at that.
"Your ninja way of soundproofing is weird, but yeah, it went better than expected, hostilities confirmed. The issue is how to deal with everything now. People here are innocents; the governor and a bunch of his men were the bad factors. But this shit will test your way of life, boy."
"Merle, huh?"
"Yeah, he was one of the black sheeps; he probably did some bad shit out there. But he is Daryl's brother.
On one hand, I know your way of dealing with those kinds of people: annihilation.
But you won't do something to make Daryl hate you, will ya? He is like a brother to us at this point...and if you exclude him from your own rule just because of that...you'll be no different than the governor, another hypocritical man."
"So, Uchiha Sasuke," Billy took a seat in front of him, looking him in the eye.
"What's your choice?"
There was a tense silence before Sasuke spoke in the same calm, undisturbed tone.
"You seem wrong about something here, Billy. I wasn't and am not a good person. Good persons are those who won't kill, steal, lie, or harm others even if they were harmed instead... I am me, I am free, I do what I want, whenever I want, for whatever I want.
I wanted to protect you guys, I did. I want to build a dependent home; I am doing it. If I want Merle alive...no one can stop me from keeping him, the same if I want him otherwise.
But yeah, I work by a set of rules, my rules and my way of life. I won't change them because I am afraid of what others think. Billy, I follow them because it's my way, my calling. As simple as that.
The governor will be dealt with, and so will his three men. Merle is the brother of Daryl, an important part of our community who has contributed since the beginning; thus, Daryl Dixon will have his own advantages, the same with you, and the same with Morgan.
One of those advantages is a reach for all my resources whenever you want; the other is a pardon.
As long as their actions didn't harm our people directly, causing a loss, they will get a pardon, either for themselves or toward their family. Even if that action was ticking off a fucking bomb in the shelter by mistake, as long as there are no casualties and we deal with it, my people who contributed as much will be pardoned. So will be their families.
And that is as far as I'm willing to go. Daryl will have that for Merle, but he will also work to gain it. And Merle would only get one chance, and will be under my personal watch; I don't deal with loose ends.
Does this explain it? Or I'm still the hypocrite, Billy." Goosebumps rose through Billy's body, seeing Sasuke simply sitting in front of him, leaning forward using his knees as support, fingers crossed, speaking each word with a clear voice, showing no hesitation or doubt at his own choices.
And more importantly, those...red eyes, Billy, for the first time since he met Sasuke, felt fear.
Instinct that seemed to awaken not from Sasuke, but from the feeling those eyes were giving him.
Taking a deep shuddering breath, Billy spoke, regaining his composure.
"Oi, boy, stop scaring the shit out of old me" Billy swept a hand over his sweaty forehead.
" But yeah, I was afraid you would be deciding on going by the book, like the fucking law of the old world. Then eventually, some smart fuck-asses would use that against you just like they did in courts, but once again...you exceeded my expectations...by being the unexpected, no one can use that to trap you. I guess all my planning to give you that hard lesson is no more needed; what a waste of so much fucking effort."
'It's such a pain to have a sneaky little brother. There's nothing there to teach him.' Billy leaned back, then looked back at the now confused Sasuke.
"Your new headlamps are cool and all, but damn, they are creepy to be stared at with such intensity. Another ninja magic?"
'Sharingan?' It was until now that it did register for Sasuke that he activated his Sharingan, a damn habit that is still on him even after all this time. Whenever his emotions flared, so would his Sharingan.
"Yeah, our bloodline limit. I recovered enough to use part of it."
"Shanin gangs?" Billy asked, and Sasuke shot him a deadpan face.
"I'm just messing with ya, but the translation for that, as you told me, is 'the wheel eye' or something. Why? I don't see any wheel pattern."
"And now," Sasuke used chakra to speed up his perception, which worked as if time were moving in slow motion.
And Billy saw the black point in each eye rotating in opposite directions around his pupil.
"Aghh, I got dizzy just looking at that. Tell me you aren't seeing the world around turning like a fucking disco ball."
"Nah, but I see the strand of hair in your scalp, not yours, long, woman's?, not exactly youthful. Happy to see you were enjoying life, Butcher." Sasuke smirked, seeing him suddenly stiffen.
"So you are a damn microscope now."
"The upgrade"
Billy laughed awkwardly at that, not knowing how to discuss Martha's matter with him.
"C'mon, stop fidgeting; this is not like you at all. Spill it. What is it?"
"So boy, yeah, well... I kinda found...my own... Katniss. I mean, not a Katniss, but you got it, yeah?"
"A wife? Partner?"
"Mhm, though, not yet a wife."
"Congratulations, so who is the unlucky one?"
"She's—huh?"
"Huh?"
"You just said..."
"I said nothing. I was about to congratulate you. You growing old fast, Billy. Hearing problems this soon?"
Billy chuckled, the tension leaving his shoulders; he didn't even know why telling the boy felt like he was filling a damn guilty confession. It was weird.
He felt like a parent telling his son he was remarrying.
====
Okay, so first thing: well, I figured I have to give our Butcher his own family too, someone to hug and comfort him.
So guys, I'll leave Martha's illustration to you; the one getting the most likes will be it. {You guys can post the illustrations here}
That's also why I didn't put a description of her in the chapter and dropped only the name.
Just don't screw Billy with a goblin-like Martha... (do it).
If you want to, even Mia's too, just know that Martha is around Billy's age, so I don't think Mia will be a little girl; it's up to you. Decide whatever you guys like. {Sorry about the age, because I already messed up and decided in the next chapter I wrote to be 28 yo. Seriously though, I can still edit it, so you do you.}
Now, the second important note: I know some of you will find what Sasuke said to be utter bullshit, and I can respect that.
But was he (me) wrong? How many people are using the loopholes in the law? To get out free from their crimes somehow just because:
"This is what your damn law/clause/rules says here; you can't bend it,"
And that's why Billy, who himself was a victim to that #backstory#.
feared for Sasuke, who always seems to put specific rules...as he knows that when their community grows, some people will eventually start to work on the loopholes of those rules.
And next, Sasuke would be forced to either adhere to the rules he set or lose his ^credibility and assertiveness^ with their people.
But if, from the start, everyone knows that Sasuke is the type who always does the unexpected and it always results in a positive outcome, no one would be that smartass with him.
{In the end, it's me who's the hypocrite here, as I just saw potential in Merle and can't find another way to have both parties satisfied. Killing Merle will mean Daryl going his way and never going back to that group. And as everybody knows, this fanfic without Daryl and Billy just won't feel the same.
Tho, I won't give Merle an easy way-out at all}