daryls-dixon-antoni

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 65.) The Calm before the Storm

We hear someone yell, "Open the gate!" And the gates to the Kingdom open, and I see three little brunettes start running our way, two girls yelling, "Mommy! Daddy!" I pick up Paul as Daryl wraps his arms around the twins, both of us squeezing our children tightly to us, tears immediately streaming down my face as I hold my son, and look over to where Daryl is stroking our daughter's hair.

Tammy Rose walks over carrying Alaric, and I take him out of her arms gently, holding him close as well. Daryl and I switch children, and I'm now on my knees holding my two beautiful girls to me, kissing all over their beautiful faces.

With both boys in Daryl's arms, Carol walks over and engulfs all three of my boys in her arms, she's crying, and I glance over to see King Ezekiel hugging Henry.

We weren't the only parents missing their children.

Ezekiel walks over to where Michonne is, saying her name.

"I was in the neighborhood, so..." they chuckle.

"Judith?" Carol says, looking at Michonne for confirmation then back to the young girl. "Do you remember us?"

"I've been drawing pictures of you since I was little. You're Carol, and you're the King. Your hair got really long."

"It did," Carol says with a laugh.

Tara approaches us, looking from Lydia to Daryl and I, "The plan was to bring Henry. Just Henry."

"Plans change," I respond.

"Gather up all the leaders," Michonne orders, lowering her voice. "We have a lot to talk about."

Daryl and I are allowed to attend the leaders meeting, so Nabila offers to take the boys, and Daryl, Gracie, Hope and I go to the auditorium where Ezekiel's thrown normally sits, but instead a table is in the middle.

Gracie and Hope go sit with Judith, Henry and Lydia.

"I know I haven't always seen eye-to-eye with everyone in this room," Michonne begins. "But I never stopped caring about any of you. I was just trying to protect my family and do right by my people. Alexandria's future is here. Together, with you. And we lost sight of that for a while. But I'm here now. We're here now."

Father Gabriel speaks up, "I've taken an informal vote with the other council members at the fair, and we all agree; Alexandria is willing to grant asylum to Lydia. She's one of us now. We hope the rest of you can join us in doing the same."

"Thank you," Lydia says. "I'll do whatever I can to earn my keep and pay you back."

Tara, with her arms crossed, says, "If her mother retaliates, it's gonna be against Hilltop, not Alexandria. I have to do right by my people. I thought we were on the same page."

"We were," Michonne agrees. "And, look, when she came to my gates, I asked her to run away. And when she didn't, I was angry."

"Then you know why I'm not okay with this."

"I do. I also know why Rick didn't trust me when I showed up at the gates of the prison. And how people didn't trust you after seeing you on the other side of the Governor's firing line."

One of Oceansides women; Rachel, adds, "I was gonna kill you on sight when you washed up on our shore."

After a long pause, Tara lets up, "Okay, okay. Fair."

"Lydia didn't choose where she came from, but she chose where she wanted to be. Just like everybody in this room." Says Michonne.

"I left some of my best fighters at Hilltop, but if Daryl's right about these skin job numbers," Tara scoffs. " It's not enough people."

"We should take a group to Hilltop to protect 'em, just in case." Daryl agrees.

"It's a good idea," Carol also agrees. "I'll take some from the Kingdom."

"Oceanside can spare some fighters," Rachel adds.

"Alexandria can, too." Gabriel adds.

"So we head out in the morning?" Rachel asks.

"No, they could be on their way there right now, they could be there already..." I warn.

"We should go today," Carol adds, nodding in my direction.

"Agreed," Gabriel allows. "But sending more people is only a short-term solution."

"In order to face this threat," Michonne speaks up, "the four communities have to present a united front. Which is why I'm proposing a mutual protection pact. An attack against one community is an attack against all of us."

"Together, we can make these people think twice before moving against the Hilltop." Gabriel agrees.

Carol and Ezekiel share a glance before Ezekiel says, "The leadership of the Kingdom is very amenable to this idea."

"Oceanside's down," Rachel adds.

"Okay. So, how do we seal it?" Tara asks. "Spit and shake, blood oath?" We all laugh at that. "What?"

"I have just the thing," Ezekiel says, grinning as he goes and grabs the constitution that Michonne wrote out all those years ago.

"What?" Michonne gapes, "How did you-" "Well, he's magic, obviously, " Tara teases. "I may have taken a few things with me when I left. I did what I thought was right. I'm sorry for the way it went down."

"Me too," Michonne says, "And thank you. You were right."

"You were, too."

"I knew this day would come," Ezekiel says, with pride in his voice. "Never doubted it for a moment." He leans down and signs where the kingdom leaders are meant to sign while saying, "John Hancock, eat your heart out."

Ezekiel then hands the pen to Carol who signs underneath him.

Rachel signs next, then Tara, when Tara hands the pen to Michonne, she turns to Gabriel.

"It should be the head of the council."

Gabriel smiles and signs his name.

Everyone looks at each other, all of us realizing at once, we just made history.

"I'm coming with," I tell Daryl as he unloads his bike from the back of a cart.

"Who's going to watch the kids?" He grunts.

"Enid said she'd keep an eye on the girls, Connie and Kelly will watch Paul and try to teach him ASL, so we can finally communicate with him. And Tammy Rose jumped at the chance to watch Alaric for us. So, they may be spread out for a bit, but they'll have a blast. Did you hear that Ezekiel found out a way to show a movie? Jerry told me, so the kids are going to see their first film. And we will protect Hilltop, together."

"I'll be there tomorrow," I tell Daryl.

"I know, spend the day with the kids. Enjoy the fair."

I smile, "I'd come today, but Carol asked me to... well keep an eye on Henry, so," I shrug.

"Thanks, for that. Be safe."

I nod, "You, too."

Ezekiel walks over to us with Carol, "When Hilltop is secure, know that our doors are always open to you. We'd be honored if you'd consider calling the Kingdom your home."

"We'll think about it," Daryl responds, a hand grazing my back.

"Good," Carol says, smiling softly.

~~~Reader's Point of View~~~

Beta approaches the group that went to find survivers of the scuffle.

"Drop them," Beta orders gruffly, its obvious his voice isn't used often. "I won't ask twice. You just had to give me the girl. No one else had to die. Now that deal is done."

"You ain't getting her back." Daryl states, as Alpha approaches the group.

"You think this is about my daughter? I ran into some trouble on the road. It was unavoidable. Do you like my new camp? My people like to keep moving, keep roaming."

"We've granted Lydia asylum," Michonne speaks up, bravely. "Any attempt to take her by force will result in retaliation."

"What's your name?"

"Michonne."

"Does she speak for you?" Alpha asks Daryl.

"We speak for each other." Daryl grunts.

"My daughter isn't a concern anymore. She was weak. She never lived up to expectations."

"Was?" Daryl asks. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"To be clear... Your group is in no position to threaten me. That is a habit that needs to be broken. Come with me." She says to Daryl. "Just you." Daryl follows her into the woods and doesn't show back up for hours. The group wait, worried, scared. Will he show back up? Will he be okay?

When he finally does return, he's embraced by his bestfriend. By Carol  and then by Michonne.

As they walk, they run into an injured Siddiq, and Michonne catches him, calling his name, asking him what happened, but he just points. And so they follow his direction...

Heads on spikes in the ground make a sort of makeshift fence.

Daryl's eyes scan over the faces

Frankie

Tammy Rose

Addy

Rodney

Enid

Tara

Henry

And...

No

He starts screaming, telling Carol to just look at him. But as he tries to keep her world from crashing, he feels his own falling apart. Those sons of bitches.

Those pricks.

His world

His world is now gone.

Dim

Alone

She left him with four motherless children

She left him with darkness

With anger

And the desire of revenge

"I was there. I was taken with the others. And I saw I was supposed to die with them. I was ready to. Then, Alpha whispered in my ear, 'Tell them." Something hit me, and everything went black. And when I woke up, I was alone. What happened was evil. It was evil. And I think she left me alive to tell you that story. To scare you and to drive us all apart again.

"But I want to tell you a different story. See, before the end Ozzy, Alek, and DJ found us and they gave us an opening. And everyone fought back. They fought like hell. And what they did... Was more than brave...  'Cause they defended each other. And they sacrificed for each other. And some of them they didn't even know each other, but they still fought like they did. Like they were family. 'Til the very end.

"]And, uh And in the end, they... Their time was cut short, but ours keeps going. So we have to keep going. For them and for all of us. We need to honor them.

"We need to honor them, and we need to remember these friends, our family, died as heroes. That's the story that I want to tell you. That's the story that I want us all to remember."

Daryl brings Lydia to the spikes, now removed of heads so she can say goodbye to Henry. He doesn't know why he does it, but he does. He brings her, and she leaves a necklace for the boy.

And he leaves his ring for his wife. The ring he'd spent hours making with Jesus, the ring that he wore to remind him he wasn't alone out in those woods. The ring that meant they'd be together until death.

And death did they part.

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 64.) Scars

We stand outside of Alexandria, and my heart starts beating rapidly in my chest.. I'd left so long ago and decided never to look back... and yet, I turn to see Daryl staring at the wall entrance as well, jaw clenched tightly. 

He remembers...

The memories cause me to miss my kids more and more every moment. I close my eyes and let a silent tear stream down my cheek, subtly wiping it away. I feel Daryl's hand briefly in my own, before its gone. He's reassuring me without making my unhappiness obvious to the two children with us.

Once we see Aaron and Michonne on the entrance outpost Daryl speaks up, "Henry's hurt. You were closest. I wouldn't have come. We had no other choice."

"What about her?" Michonne calls down.

"She's with us," Henry responds immediately.

Michonne turns around, after a few minutes she turns back and yells, "Open it!"

Daryl and I exchange a final glance as the gates are opened.

Siddiq fixes Henry's leg while I corner Aaron.

He seems livid at the idea of me speaking with him, but I carry on anyway. "Jesus is fine, he will be, anyway. Enid thinks he'll make damn near a full recovery, no thanks to you."

"We were idiots that day," Aaron snaps.

"No, you were in love. And you were meant to stand with him," I respond, coldly.

"He could have died!"

"And he didn't, thank whoever the hells listening. But no thanks to you! You, who meant the world to Jesus. You who left my best friend alone to die. We used to be so close, Aaron... what the hell happened to you?"

"I'd ask you the same question, bringing a refuge to Alexandria, no kids in sight after pining for several years and being mad at Daryl for doing exactly what your doing now. Abandoning your children. Or years you going to go back and put them and everyone there in danger?"

"Fuck you, Aaron. Fuck you." I seethe before storming away, to go to wait with Daryl for Henry and Lydia.

Michonne's outside with Daryl and that blonde woman who's name I consistently forget..

"So, where to now?" Michonne asks, as I approach. "Straight to the Kingdom?"

"Well, probably not straight, but, yeah Carol should know."

"And I'm sure someone will have brought our kids... maybe we can explain why we'll be gone for awhile in a way they'll understand." I pipe up, hopefully.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this," Daryl says, as we sit on the edge of a body of water.

"Nah, I'm not. I'm glad you finally took me with you..." I nudge his shoulder with my own, its then that I hear the footsteps coming.

I stand up to let Judith sit next to Daryl as I lean against one of the wooden poles.

"Is Hilltop in danger?" She asks once she's settled.

"I don't know. Might be," Daryl responds, softly.

"But you helped Lydia, anyways."

"No, we went to get Henry. Lydia just kind of tagged along."

"You brought her here. That means you want to help." She pauses, "I want to help, too."

"I know you do."

"Would you stay if my mom says it's okay?" "Nah. We should keep movin'. Your mom's right. Keeping you and RJ safe. This place. That's-that's what's important."

"No, it isn't." She contradicts, sounding almost sad. "I mean, not just us. I've heard the stories, how everyone fought the Saviors and won. We can do that again."

"You haven't heard all the stories."

"What would my dad do?"

"Your dad would put up one hell of a fight," I pipe up after a minute of silence.

Judith smiles, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

We're gathering up to leave when I hear Aaron say to Daryl, "Remember way back; when I told you you'd make a great father? May not be your own kids, but I was right."

"A lot's changed," Daryl grunts. "Back then, we were still building bridges and you and my wife were friends." I have to force myself not to look back at them as Daryl calls me his wife.

"Stay safe." I hear Michonne say, which tells me that Aaron walked away.

"Yeah, you too." Daryl responds. "Thank you."

"She's mad at me." I assume they're speaking of Judith.

"It's 'cause she don't know. Why don't you tell her?"

"She's not ready. Neither am I. She's a kid. She gets to keep being one as long as I can help it."

"That's not just a little kid you got there." He catxhes up to me at that, and he calls his dog, then whistles loudly.

"So, I'm still your wife?" I ask him, softly as we walk.

"Ya still wear the ring don't ya?"

I shrug, "I guess I do. And you?"

"Still yer husband, if you'll still have me."

"I guess I kind of understand how hard your decision to stay away must have been... I hate that we're doing this to them..."

He nods, "I'm sorry."

"Its not your fault, it was my decision to bring the girl along. But I wasn't wrong."

"You weren't wrong."

We keep walking, when we hear a carriage pulling up behind us, we turn around as Michonne says, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."

"Anyone headed to Kingdom?" Judith asks.

I smile and we hop into the car turned carriage.

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 63.) Chokepoint

As we run as fast and as far as we can, I hear Henry fall, and turn around as Daryl asks, "You all right?"

Henry gets up and looks around, "This isn't the way back to Hilltop."

"I'd made a deal with those Skinfaces, we just broke that deal. We can't go back now, it'll put everyone in danger." My heart clenches, the kids...

"She's right. There's too many of them. Alpha would destroy Hilltop to get me back now."

"And why didn't you tell us there was that many of them?" Daryl asks.

"You kept me locked in a cage. What did you expect? I wasn't going to betray my own people!"

"Well, maybe you should go back to 'em." Daryl snaps. "Henry didn't know what he was getting his ass into, but you sure as hell did."

"I thought I could go back." She takes a deep shaky breath. "I can't."

"Well, you ain't coming with us."

"Hey," Henry says, quickly. "Hey, we could run. Me and her. You guys go back, and-and we keep running. They can't blame Hilltop if we just disappear."

"Henry, we can't." Lydia contradicts.

"Let me fix this."

"No," Daryl speaks up. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you run away with this one. No way. Think of your mom! "

"Daryl, we don't have time for this conversation." I but in, harshly. "We took the girl, we can't take that back now."

"No, she's right. Come on. We gotta go." We start moving as Daryl continues talking. "Come on. It's this way. Yeah, this way."

Dog starts growling and getting antsy, Daryl looks at him, "No. No. Dog!"

We make it to a city, and I notice a skyscraper, I nudge Daryl, and point to the top floor. "Hey, an advantage point."

"Yeah, good idea." He agrees. "Come on," he orders, turning to the kids as we start towards the skyscraper.

"I don't understand," Henry speaks up.

"They use walkers to protect themselves, right?" Daryl asks.

"So we go up, where the Walkers can't protect them," I add.

"We separate the living from the dead," agrees Daryl. "They travel in a herd, but there's only like five or six of them in the middle, right?"

Yeah," Lydia agrees, hesitantly. "But if we go up there, we're trapped. Alpha's not gonna send an army 'cause she doesn't have to. She'll send Beta."

"I'm sick of running," Daryl says. "This Beta; He their best?" Lydia nods. "Good. We'll kill him first. Come on."

I notice Lydia's hesitancy, but choose to ignore it.

Daryl turns on his flashlight and I kick in the door, when he shines his light on the stairs, we notice its already barricaded. We make it up the stairs no problem, and I notice something off with the floor at the landing of one of the upper floors. Part of its wood is raised awkwardly, and so I move the table standing on top of the raised flooring, move the chunk of unattached floorboards, and... a stash, someone's staying here.

"That stairwell's already barricaded," Daryl says, walking into the room.

"Someone's stash is here," I reply, gesturing to the goods.

"Right. So, there's only two ways up," he says, changing the subject.

"Good," I respond.

"I think these barricades are a little too barricaded. So, we'll cut open holes so that they can walk up here. All right?"

"Okay."

"This might work," Daryl informs me.

"Then?"

"Then we go."

"And we take the girl."

"No. No."

"Daryl," I start, but he interrupts me.

"If we take her back, our friends die."

"She needs us," I respond, harshly.

"You can't go 'round adopting every orphaned child out there!" He snaps.

I glare at him, my stare as cold as ice as I respond, "Watch me." I then turn and leave the room, not taking his shit.

I head up to higher ground, knowing Daryl will get the kids and follow me up.

"There," I hear Lydia say from outside. "They're coming."

Daryl shoots an arrow at one of the dead's heads.

"All right, they're here." He calls coming back inside. "Let's go."

We start boarding up the windows to block out the light coming in.

"Hi," I hear Daryl tell Lydia, "You're with me. Come on, boy." He instructs his dog.

"Ready Henry?" I ask.

"No," he responds honestly.

"Daryl will protect Lydia, I promise. And I'll protect you. Now get in that closet."

"Wait, what?"

"Now, Henry."

"Okay, okay." He mutters going inside the closet.

It takes three more seconds for the whisperers to come inside and I immediately engage in combat.

Ducking as one goes to slice my head, and quickly sidestepping another as I shove my knife in the first one's chest.

I jump and kick one down, and quickly turn around to knife another, it takes a few seconds before more come in, and I roundhouse one's ass, before stabbing a new one. They seem to have more and more people flooding in the room, but as I'm given a breather, I look and the closet door to where Henry was stashed is open and empty. "Henry?" I call.

After finally stabbing the last skinwearer, I start my search, and that's when I notice Daryl in combat with another skinwearer.  He has Daryl with his neck over a table saw. I rush forward and pull the man with all my might, he elbows me in the face, causing my nose to break painfully, and squirt blood everywhere.

I quickly punch him, hitting his face as hard as I can.

I'm shoved into a wall and everything goes black.

Next thing I know Daryl's standing over me, and my visions slightly blurred.

"You alright?" He asks.

"Yeah. Let's go." I mumble, allowing him to help me up.

As I look out a window, I throw a rock at the window of a car to draw the walkers towards it, then throw another a little further away, before turning to look back the others.

"They're distracted," I inform Daryl, as he stands with Henry and Lydia.

"All right, we should go." Daryl states.

"You figure out where we're going?" asks Henry.

"Well, Alexandria's the closest to us."

Daryl nods, and turns to Henry, "We'll get you stitched up there."

I glance back at Henry, guilt for him getting injured during my watch swirling inside of me.

"No, we can't." Henry argues. "If her people find out we're there, everybody-"

Daryl interrupts him, "Hell, we ain't staying. We'll get you back on your feet, and then we'll move on. All of us."

"No... No, but-" Henry hesitates, looking at all of us. "No, but where are we going?"

"I heard there's a whole world out there," Daryl responds. "Come on."

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 62.) Guardians

We make it to a place where the dirt is turned in all directions, "Dammit." I mumble. "Daryl, they caught him, didn't they?"

"Yeah."

Dog barks once and Daryl looks, Dog is sniffing and then looking at Daryl.

"Good boy," Daryl praises him, and leans down and picks up Henry's stick.

"Damn it," I repeat, dejectedly.

"Yeah. They went that way," Daryl points, and I grunt and nod.

At the sound of wheezing, I turn around to see two of the Dead on our trail. Daryl and I exchange a look and a nod, before both of us aim our arrows at the dead and in sync we shoot, killing both walkers seamlessly.

"Nice," he compliments before whistling, "Dog."

Dog goes and breaks his arrow off and brings it to Daryl.

I smirk and have to suppress a laugh. Who knew the day Daryl Dixon would try to impress me with how well he trained his dog would ever come. Let alone it be also the day that his dog just barely messed it up.

Daryl glances at me then mutters, "Bad dog." And I actually end up snorting.

"Shut up," he orders, gruffly.

We catch up and watch as two of the whisperers drag a large wrapped something towards the herd. One of the dead, no, another whisperer approaches and the two drop the wraps, one walks away but the new whisperer and the first one unwrap what appears to be two bodies. Then the dead start moving in, dropping down to eat.

I have to turn away, one of those bodies could be Henry.

"Its not him," Daryl whispers softly, I look up at him to see he's looking at the bodies.

I nod, and then we slowly move back, waiting for the best moment to make our move.

When darkness hits, we slowly move in. We watch as a tall Whisperer holds Henry by the hair, Lydia stands holding a knife next to Alpha. We can't hear what's being said, but soon the Dead start infiltrating their camp.

Screams can be heard, and the growling and moaning of the dead.

We approach slowly, and we can hear Henry say, "Lydia, we need to go." When she hesitates, Daryl steps forward and puts a hand on Henry's shoulder, causing the boy to jump about a foot in the air.

"Keep your head down. We're leaving." Daryl orders.

"Not without Lydia," Henry responds, stubbornly.

"No, the girl stays."

I take out my knife and begin killing any of the dead that get too close.

"Then so do I."

"Henry," I hear Lydia say, softly.

"No," Henry says, sounding panicky. "I'm not leaving you. I won't."

"Daryl, we got to go." I mutter. "Just take the girl. We'll deal with the reprocussions later." The words hurt. I know the decision I'm making. I send a prayer up to whoever could be listening that my kids will be safe. That someone will teach them that we never wanted to abandon them.

"Now," I hear Daryl say, and as I glance behind me I see him dragging Henry behind, Henry urging Lydia on, and we take off.

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 61.) Bounty

"You're in no place to make demands here," I call down to the woman calling herself Alpha. "There are plenty of us here, each more ready to defend this place than the next."

"I show you my face because we mean you no harm." The woman responds. "I just want my daughter. I know you have her."

Daryl speaks up, "You should turn around. Leave now and no one gets hurt."

"Wrong answer," she says, then holds up her hand. A group of her people start falling in, bringing two hostages forward. I exchange looks with Daryl.

"They don't see her." Kelly whispers. "Least not yet."

"See who?" I ask, not taking my eyes off of Alpha.

"Connie; she's in the cornfield."

I sigh, today is not going to be an easy day. "Tara, where're my kids?"

"They went to sit with Jesus."

I nod, "Okay... okay. Daryl? What do you think?"

"That girl told me what her mom does to her. We ain't sending her back to that."

"Yeah," Tara responds. "But what if she has Alden and Luke? Pissing her off can get them killed."

"Did you kill our friends?" Magna calls down. "We found their horses."

"

No." Alpha responds, simply. "Which one of you leads these people?"

Daryl and I exchanfe a glance.

"What the hell does it matter?" He calls down, angrily.

"Then I'll just address all of you. Your people crossed into our land. There will be no conflict. Your people killed our people. There will be no conflict. I'm done talkin'. Bring me my daughter, or there will be conflict."

"No one touches the girl." Daryl grunts.

"Daryl," I sigh, but he turns around and starts decending the wall.

"Daryl?" Tara repeats.

"Where's he going?" Yumiko asks.

"Daryl, stop." Tara orders, she then looks incredulously at me.

I shrug, "I'll get him, and before you say anything. If it comes to a trade, I'm not responsible for the girl. I am responsible for Alden and Luke."

I reach Daryl as he's passing by Enid and Henry.

"Does she have Alden and Luke?" Enid asks.

"I don't know," Daryl responds, harshly.

"What does she want?" Henry asks, and Daryl turns to look at him as I respond.

"

They want the girl."

"No, Daryl," Henry begs. "We-we can't do that."

"She ain't gettin' her," Daryl says as he looks pointedly to me.

"Then what are you doing?" Henry inquires.

"She's done talkin'. I'm not. Come on." Daryl holds a hand up, and Kal opens the gates, so I shrug and follow Daryl.

We approach the gate that Alpha is standing on the other side of.

"You can't have her. Now... if it's a fight you're lookin' for, we got enough firepower to light you up. Right here and now."

At the sound of a baby's cry, I look out to Alpha's people and see a baby being held by one of the women.

"You brought a baby out here?" Daryl asks, shocked.

"We're animals. Animals live out here. Animals have babies. So we have babies out here. Now, what were you sayin'? Lightin' us all up? You seem to want conflict. I don't. So I'm proposing a trade."

She glances back and her people demask the two they'd drug over earlier. Its Alden and Luke.

"I wanted to kill them." Alpha continues, evenly. "But I want my daughter more. One of mine, two of yours. It's a good trade, which is why you're gonna take it. Now... bring me my daughter."

I turn around immediately, time to get the girl.

Daryl follows behind me and as soon as we've made it back inside our walls, Enid asks, "Anne, what'd she say? Are they okay?"

I don't respond, disgusted by the choice I have to make.

"Yeah," Daryl responds for me. "They will be. We got to hand back the girl. Where's Henry?"

"I don't know. Why?" Tammy Rose asks as her and Earl approach us.

"He's gonna want to say goodbye."

"Daryl, Anne," Magna says, approaching us. "Tara and Yumiko went to get Lydia."

"What?" Daryl snaps.

"Anne had said that she'd make the trade. So Tara decided when she saw Luke and Alden."

"Hey," Yumiko states as her and Tara run over to us from the direction of the cells. "She's gone."

"How you mean she's gone?" Daryl asks.

"Her door was open," Tara explains. "Key was in the lock. Daryl, you know we have to do this."

"All right, split up. Find Henry, we find the girl." I nod, and off we go to try to find Henry and Lydia.

"I know you don't agree with this-" I start, but Daryl interrupts me.

"Doesn't matter how I like it, you're the boss lady."

"You're right, and I made a call you don't like. But I had to, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I don't like it."

I hear Daryl's dog bark and rush over, meeting Enid, to see Daryl lifting the trap door covered by logs.

"Shit," I just barely hear Daryl mutter.

"They snuck out?" Enid guesses.

"Yeah. Go tell the others. I can track 'em."

"You don't have to." I turn around to see a curly haired teenager named Addy. "I know where he probably took her."

There's banging and some shouting. "Addy, go see what the hell is going on; Daryl, you'll get Henry?"

He nods, but Enid speaks up, "Let me get Henry and Lydia."

"No, it's our problem. Go." Daryl orders.

"And Alden's mine." Enid argues, "Look, this is how we get him back." She turns to me, "Look, I-I've known Henry since he was a kid. He likes me. I can talk to him."

"Okay, let's go see whats up."

"Come on, boy. Come on." Daryl tells his dog.

We make it to the wall to see Connie grabbing a baby off the ground and then has to run from both the walkers that have also flooded our fields, as well as the whisperers. She runs right into the cornfield.

"Daryl!" I call, rushing to get down and off the wall before I quickly have them open the gates for me.

"Right behind you!" I hear as I run to the field.

We get to Connie and Daryl stabs one of the dead in the head, as I quickly sign to Connie, "Let's go." She nods and when I turn I see Magna and Kelly also followed. We run to get back to the walls.

When Lydia is brought back, Daryl offers to handle it while I get the baby Connie saved; cleaned up. Its a little boy.

I

bring him back to my trailer and clean him off, gently. I then find a blanket to wrap him up in.

As I wrap him up, I whisper, "Hey, Buddy. I'm your new mommy."

I bring him with me to pick up the kids from Jesus's room. When I enter, he's reading to the three.

"Mommy!" Hope yells in greeting and I smile.

"Who's that, Mommy?" Gracie asks, hopping up and approaching me at a run, trying to get a better look at the baby.

"This is your new baby brother."

Jesus smirks, "Where did you find another baby?" He asks, hoarsely.

I laugh, "The sons of bitches who almost killed you are outside the wall, they left him for the dead."

"What's his name, Mommy?" Gracie asks.

"I don't know yet," I admit, calmly.

"Can his name be Alaric, like the character from Uncle Jesus's book?" Hope pleads.

"Ew, the teacher? Hope likes him," Gracie giggles, and Hope's cheeks pink up.

I smile, "I think Alaric is a perfect name. Jerry Alaric ..." I trail off before I can finish the last name.

"Your keepin' him?" Daryl asks, and when I turn around I see him leaning against the door frame.

"I am."

He nods once, "Good. He couldn't have a better ma."

"Or a better daddy," Gracie adds as she throws herself into Daryl's arms. He picks her up, but doesn't lose eye contact with me.

"Lets get you kids to bed, Uncle Jesus needs to rest." I say, softly. Boy is this awkward.

As we bring the kids to the trailer, Henry stops us, saying, "I get why we had to do it."

I glance at him, then look to the girls, "Head on home, now. Keep an eye on your brother. I want you in your pj's so dad and I can tuck you in when we get there, alright?"

"Alright mommy," Gracie says.

"Paul doesn't want you to be long," Hope adds as they scurry off in the direction of our trailer.

When they're out of hearing range, Henry adds, "But it doesn't make it okay."

"I never said it did," Daryl grunts.

"So, what do we do?"

"We live with it."

"Yeah. That's what Enid said." He hesitates before saying, "I saw the scars on your back. I think you know better than anyone what we just sent her back to. How can you live with that?"

"Henry!" I scold, but Daryl puts a hand up in my direction and speaks.

"Look the world is just shit sometimes. And you live with it. Sometimes that's all you can do."

"Yeah, but what about before? At Alexandria? I know what you did to help when things went bad there."

"No. You don't. Not really. I did what I had to do today. We all did."

We start walking again and I ask, "How'd we get to this point in our lives?"

"We made stupid decisions. I missed ya. Everyday. Every damned day I'd missed ya."

I nod, "I missed you, too."

He slowly brings a hand to my cheek, and then leads down to kiss me. I return the kiss with a passion I didn't know I still had.

"So, you gave us another kid."

"I gave you a second chance to be there for the diaper stages." I tease, and he smiles, our foreheads touching when we hear Addy say his name, causing us to jump apart.

"What?" He asks, gruffly.

"I found this in Henry's room." She holds out a note and Daryl takes it.

I read it over his shoulder.

Couldn't live

with it

Left to find

Lydia

We pack up, get Enid to watch the kids and Earl and Tammy Rose to watch Alaric.

I go to speak with Tara, and she glares as I explain the situation.

"So your abandoning Hilltop, again?"

I shake my head, "I'm leaving Hilltop in the very capable hands of its true leader. Tara, you've been running this place for months now. Its time to make it official."

"What?" She asks, gaping.

"C'mon, now. You know you're made for this. And I am definitely not."

I then turn on my heel, meet back up with Daryl and we leave, letting the gates close behind us.

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 60.) Omega

"We need to talk," Daryl demands, walking into Jesus's room.

It turned out his lung didn't collapse, but between my stabbing him and the other man stabbing him, he lost a lot of blood. We don't have any means to do a safe blood transfusion, so it's just a waiting game to see if he regains consciousness.

"That girl should be dead." I say, not taking my eyes off of Jesus's body.

"Yeah, she should. But we need her."

I sigh, "I disagree."

"You call the shots 'round here, why don't you just order me to kill 'er."

I glance at Daryl briefly, before muttering, "Because I trust your judgment of people."

"You came at me when I arrived here demanding we talk right then and there, why ain't ya still demandin' it?"

I shrug, "Because... I don't want to hear why you left. Hell, I know why you did. What I don't know, and the reason I can never forgive you is you never came back. I supported you, I supported your decision to move us back to Alexandria. I supported you leaving to find Rick's body. I supported you for two years. And after that, when you'd come annually to trade with Hilltop, I begged you to come home. And then .... then you stopped showing up. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I had to ask Carol when I'd want to hear any news about you."

"'M sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it. I raised three kids, on my own. You knew I was afraid of ending up raising those kids by myself. And you left anyway. You deserted your family."

"I couldn't face you."

"What?" I snap.

"I'm the reason Rick's dead; you tried to stop me from destractin' him so Maggie could kill Negan. And then she didn't and he died for nothin'. So I tried gettin' the body for Michonne. And I couldn't ever find one. After a while I realized I'd caused two families to be fucked, and I couldn't face you. So I stopped comin'. I was dissapointin' you, and I stopped facin' it."

"Until Carol asked you to come." The words that I'd been mulling over again and again in my mind falls out of my mouth and surprises even myself.

"What?"

Whelp, too late now, might as well let him hear it. "I begged you, for years. And Carol needs you to watch her son, and you come fucking running to do so. Your own damn kids weren't enough to get you off that mountain, but you'd be damned if you didn't come running when Carol asked you for help."

"It was time for me to stop hidin'."

"No Daryl. The time for you to stop hiding six years ago."

"You two seem to be doing better," the hoarse voice startles me and it takes me a minute to realize who it is.

"Your awake," I breathe, tears coming to my eyes immediately. "Daryl, go get Enid, now!"

I rush to Jesus's side, but by the time I reach for his hand, he's out cold again. Disappointment floods through me at the sight of him back to the state he was in just a few minutes ago. I blink back my tears, and sit back down. When Enid shows up, she looks confused.

"He passed back out immediately..." I mutter, bitterly.

She grabs a flashlight and opens his eyelids with her thumb, shining the light into his eyes one by one.

"His pupils are responsive, which is more than I could say last time." She touches his forehead and cheeks, "His temperature is back up, I'll have to remove his blanket and put some cool water on his face. But I think it's a good sign."

"You think?"

"I was trained by Siddiq, we never went-"

I don't let her finish, I just get up and leave the room.

After I get the kids down to sleep, I catch sight of Daryl sitting outside the jail.

I glance at the trailer I sleep in before walking over to him, he glances up and puts a finger to his lips, before gesturing with his head to inside the jail.

I nod, and quietly sit down next to him, listening to Lydia and Henry talk.

“Never been alone," Lydia says. "My people traveled in groups with the dead. I miss the sounds, the smell."

"Not gonna lie Walking around in dead people's skins is pretty messed up." Henry states.

"Thinking this place isn't gonna fall like every other place: that's messed up."

"Agree to disagree."

"Your dad's an asshole like mine. All you did was sneak out. Is it even that hard? Are there a lot of guards posted here?"

I glance at Daryl and see him already looking at me.

"Daryl's not my dad. He doesn't even want to be here. He's only doing it as a favor for my mom."

I feel the ache in my chest, but don't say anything.

"I thought you said your mom died," Lydia asks.

"My second mom, I mean. She's tough. Not somebody you want to mess with. Hey, what happened to your dad?"

There's a few seconds quiet before she answers. "My dad was a stupid man. My mom, though, she kept me alive. Kept me safe. She's a lot like your mom. You don't mess with her, either."

"Can we meet our daddy?" Gracie asks, sweatly as she eats an apple.

Hope is cutting her apple and giving pieces to Paul as she asks, "Paul wants to meet him, too. Don't you Paul."

My son looks up at me and nods, so I sigh. "C'mon," I instruct, standing up and walking to the door to put shoes on.

"Where's we goin'?"

"Let's go meet your dad." I say, walking out the door, the three following behind like ducklings.

We walk to the barns, and are greeted by Daryl's dog, I hear Gracie giggle as she's licked.

"Dog!" I hear Daryl call, coming down the latter from where he's been sleeping. He stops as he see's us, eyeing me.

"Daryl, these are your children, they wanted to get to know you."

"Yeah?"

I nod, "Yeah."

Gracie walks over to Daryl and gives him a bright smile, "Paul looks like you."

He nods, "Yeah, he does."

"Hope looks like both of you," Gracie continues, matter of factly.

"She does, and I see you got your moma's personality."

Gracie absolutely beams, looking back at me with that one dimple indenting her left cheek. "I like him," she states.

Paul walks up to Daryl as well, Hope staying next to me.

When Paul reaches Daryl, he wraps his arms around Daryl's waist, and it's a second before Daryl reacts by picking his son up and holding him close, I watch as Gracie hugs him, too; Daryl now obviously crying.

He'd missed us.

He missed them, you idiot. Not you.

Daryl sets down Paul after a few minutes, and quickly wipes his eyes, before looking at Hope, "Hello, Hope." He whispers.

She waves, but then says, "Paul thinks it's time for us to go to school."

Paul looks at her reproachfully, obviously not agreeing with what she'd said, but I nod anyway. "It is; and Gracie, no stopping at the horse stalls on the way, you can't be late again this week, am I understood?”

"Yes, Mommy." She nods, and grabs Paul's hand catching up to Hope who is already on her way to the school room we have set up in the red house.

"Thank you," Daryl says, once the kids are out of eyesight.

I nod once, "They asked to meet you. If you want to be in their lives, come by and tuck them in every night. Don't leave again, because I promise you this, Daryl Dixon. I will not give you another chance to hurt our children. This is it, don't waste it." I then turn around and begin my walk to the infirmiry, hoping to check in on Jesus.

“How’s he doing?”

“He feels like an entire knife was stabbed into his back before his friend attempted to murder him as well.” The hoarse voice causes me to smile.

“Yeah, your welcome for trying to save your life, Aaron just about declared you dead.”

“Where is he?” I bite my lip at the question.

“He went back to Alexandria.”

“Oh,” the disappointment in Jesus’s voice is obvious.

“He’s been awake for nearly ten minutes,” Enid updates me, with a small smile.

I feel my own smile lighting up my face, “Really?”

“Really, looks like the knife missed all vital organs, and your pen thank god, missed his lungs.”

I feel my cheeks heat up, “I was trying to help.”

“I know, I’ll leave you two alone.” Enid states, walking out of the room.

Jesus eyes me, “Can you cut my hair, if I’m going to be bed ridden, might as well do it with some lighter hair.”

I nod slowly, wanting to protest but willing to help him with anything he asks.

Once we’re done, I hardly recognize the man infront of me, he’s pale and his hair is much shorter than I’ve ever seen it.

Daryl pokes his head into Jesus's room just after Jesus fell back to sleep.

“m gonna go question that girl again, wanna come?"

I glance at Jesus' sleeping form before nodding. I get up, stretch, and then follow Daryl to the jail, Lydia is laying down when we get in there, but quickly sits up and stays as close to the wall as she can possibly get.

Daryl sits in the chair outside of her cell, and I lean against the wall next to him.

"You finally come to kill me?" She asks, softly.

Daryl reaches into the inside pocket of his vest and pulls out a pill bottle, shaking it a little before explaining, "It's for your ear.You keep pullin' on it like it hurts." He holds the bottle up and she turns away.

"No?" He shoves the bottle back in his pocket muttering, "I don't give a shit. It's up to you."

"Look, I'm not beating around the bush. Two of my people went missing, good people. We found their horses and they were half skinned and half eaten." I say, harshly.

"You know anything about that?" Daryl asks.

"How could I? I've been here."

"What would your mom do if she crossed some of our people? Would she kill them?"

"She would if she had to."

She starts rambling about how her mom killed one of the men they were holed up with during the beginning.

She then explains her dad sang to her to help keep her calm, that he'd sing the same song to her when she got scared.

"Can you sing to me, Mommy?" Aaron's soft voice asks as he's huddled to my side while I stroke Tonia's long blonde hair with her on my lap. Mason is sat on the other side, and we're in a tent, thunder rumbling above, Tyler standing at the entrance, looking out at the angry sky above.

"Of course, Lovie." I take a breath and start singing, "It's not where you come from..."

I blink, and the jail cell is clearly in my vision now, and Lydia's still talking. "Five? Six? Who knows?"

"Your mom... Your mom did what she had to do." Lydia nods slowly, and I move away from the walls, whisper, "Let me know of any updates."

Daryl nods once, and I walk back out of the jail.

She truly is just a scared young girl...

I leave the red house much later that night to see Daryl being followed by Henry.

"Girl's too messed up. She's a waste of time. She's your problem."

I frown, but nod, knowing what needs to be done.

"What's gonna happen to her?" Henry asks, and Daryl and I exchange a brief glance, but neither of us answer, I go to start on my way home, Daryl following closely behind, presumably to come tuck in the kids.

"Did someone used to beat you up, too?"

"Henry!" I snap, turning around, appolled at his words.

Daryl raises a hand to silence me, and I turn back around, ready to keep walking when Henry continues, "Once, I heard my dad ask my mom why she kept her hair so short. She said when it was long, her first husband would grab it when she tried to get away. He would pull it and slam her against the wall. So, one day she just cut it all off so he couldn't. And I guess it took her this long to feel safe again."

Henry approaches us, "Sometimes you act like the type of guy who slams people against walls, but I don't think that's it."

"You shouldn't listen to people talk," Daryl grunts, facing him.

"Look, I know Lydia's people are bad, but that doesn't mean she's bad at all. She's just scared. You can show her there's nothing to be afraid of. You can do that. And only you."

"No," Daryl contridicts, "Not just me."

Daryl and I make our way to tuck in the kids, relieving Kal of watching them for me.

The kids are fast asleep by the time we get there, but Daryl pulls up their blankets so they cover them all the way up to their shoulders.

"I missed that," I whisper.

"What?" He asks, looking at me with a guarded expression.

"Seeing the softer dad version of you... I see that you still where the ring..."

He grunts, but doesn't respond.

"I missed you," I whisper.

He looks at me before striding over and kissing me, hard.

Seven years worth of pent up rage and pain is shared in our kiss.

Before things go further, Daryl pulls away and walks out without a word; and I'm left confused and even a little hurt.

"Anne!" I hear Tara yell from the observation posts, so I climb up, "What's wrong?" I ask.

Yumiko hands me binoculars and when I look through them in the direction Tara pointed I swear, "Fuck!" I watch as the guard that Tara had sent to retrieve Magna's group rushes Kelly through the gates while a group of the skinwearers approach our gates.

"Tara, get everyone who isn't a fighter inside, and get me Daryl."

Tara nods and rushes to follow my instructions. It isn't long before she's back with Daryl and Magna in toe.

A bald woman who is the only one who isn't wearing a walker as a mask speaks up in a thick southern drawl, "I am Alpha. And we only want one thing from you. My daughter."

Daryl and I exchange glances.

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 59.) Adaptation

"Anne; Michonne and the group of new recruits just went after Daryl, Jesus and Aaron," I'm startled awake by the words and by Enid's shake of my bed.

"Anne, the walkers, they're talking. Rosita's convinced Daryl, Aaron and Jesus are in serious trouble."

"Daryl's in trouble?"

She nods.

I rush up and start getting dressed in a hurry. "Will you-"

"I'll stay with the kids."

"Thank you!" I say, hurrying out the door.

"Get him out of here," I can hear Jesus say once I finally find the group, they're in a graveyard. "Go, I got this!"

"And I've got you," I add, hopping over the fence ready to help.

Aaron runs to help Eugene get out of the gates as Jesus and I start fighting the incoming dead.

We start chopping heads, one after the other after the other, that's when I hear Aaron yell, "Jesus! Anne! Come on!"

Jesus and I exhange a look, a nod, and then start towards our group, I take out one of the dead and out of the corner of my eye; I see one duck from Jesus's swing, and then stab Jesus in the back.

I hear the chilling whisper, "You are where you do not belong."

"Fuck you, Prick!" I yell, swiping at the dead myself as I hear Aaron's yells of, "No! No! No!"

After I stab the dead's shoulder, he side steps my next swing, and as another goes to get me from behind, I see an arrow hit it's head.

As the rest of the group start jumping in and helping to kill the dead; I rush over to Jesus, quickly applying pressure to his wound, "We have to get him back!" I yell, all but tearing my shirt off to make a makeshift bandage. Aaron stands in front of me and Jesus, just absolutely bawling.

"Aaron, stop crying and help me lift him."

I see the tears falling faster, so I stand up and slap him, "Aaron! He is not dying today. You hear me, now help me lift him." Aaron nods, finally helping me. "We have to get him back."

That's when the chilling whispers start up, "They're trapped."

"Circle 'round."

Daryl's dog starts barking, his noise blending in with the whispers that seem to be closing in on us.

"Don't let them slip by."

"Keep them together."

"We don't have much time!" I yell. "His lung is going to collapse if it hasn't yet."

"You die now."

I feel Jesus start to shake violently in both Aaron and I's arms. "Fuck, can you guys keep them away from us? We have to put him down, I'm going to have to puncture a hole in his chest to help him breathe."

They start fighting once more as I take a part the pen I had in my pocket and quickly blow the ink out, I then grab a tiny bottle of whiskey I'd been keeping in my jacket for a rainy day. I quickly dump some of the whiskey on the pen, throwing a prayer to whoever might be up there and then stab as hard as I can in the side of Jesus's chest.

"Now. Go. I'll cover you." I hear Michonne say.

I nod, holding the pen and pulling Jesus back up with Aaron's help.

"Die. Die."

"Come on!"

"Let's go!"

We carry Jesus out the exit of the gate, running as fast as we can while carrying him.

"Here, let me carry him." I nod, letting Daryl take the brunt of Jesus's weight, so he and Aaron have him propped up as we move.

"Who the hell would do this?" Yumiko asks. "Even think about doing this?"

"I suspect some vessel filled with a chunky salsa of abnormal impulses and metastasized rage," Eugene explains.

I realize a little slower than I'd have liked to that their speaking about the walker masks some of the living dead were wearing, having meant now we have real life living fake walkers to worry about as well as the actually dead walkers.

"It's full-on batshit," says Magna.

"You think there's more?" Aaron asks.

"Yeah," Daryl confirms.

"So, what do we do?" Yumiko asks.

"Right now, keep moving." Michonne orders.

We make it to the horses and walk them while I take back over for Aaron in carrying Jesus with Daryl at my side.

"He's coming to!" I shout, gently lowering Jesus down.

"Wha- Ow."

"Don't talk, there's a pen stuck in your side, we're taking you back to Hilltop. We'll get you there, but it's going to hurt like hell. I need you to be quiet, and Jesus. I am so sorry."

Jesus nods, and groans louldy as Daryl and I help him back up, Aaron quickly jumping back in so that it's he and I carrying Jesus at this point.

"Okay, lets go!" Daryl orders.

Jesus grunts in pain with every single step we manage to make.

"Sounds like he's a good one." Magna observes after Jesus had passed out once again from the pain.

"He is," Aaron confirms, his tone cold. "Shouldn't have been out here."

"It's my fault," Eugene starts. "If I hadn't-"

"Jesus made his own decisions!" Aaron snaps.

"Aaron," I warn.

"We all knew the risks of being out here. Knowin' we shouldn't be. Maybe what happened was bound to happen."

I hear the dog start barking and Magna says, "We got some tails."

"The living kind or original recipe?" Eugene asks.

"Let's find out," Daryl says, going towards the growls, muttering, "Good dog."

I hold back with Aaron trying to keep Jesus comfortable.

"He needs help, now! Get him into the infirmary and someone get Enid!" I order as soon as we get inside the gates. I leave the girl we'd captured for Daryl to handle, my main focus is saving Jesus's life. "Move!"

I notice Saddiq and yell for him, "Come save him! Right now!"

He nods, and we rush to the infirmary together.

"Is he going to live?" I demand again, getting frustrated by Siddiq's dodging the answer to my question.

He stares at me a moment, before shaking his head, as though all fight has gone out of him and says softly, "I don't know. If he makes it through today, there could be a chance... but I don't know."

I grab a chair and toss it across the room, "Figure it out, dammit!" I yell before storming out of the room and towards the jail, seeing Tara, Michonne and Daryl leaving the trap door, "What'd she say?" I ask, harshly.

"I don't trust a word coming out of her mouth. We'll get it out of her."

I look at them all with disbelief.

"We try again in the morning," Tara reassures me.

"You'll have to do it without me," Michonne states. "Taking my people back first thing. Can't risk them not knowing about this back home."

"Okay, thank you for helping. The group you brought, I'll give them a chance." I turn to Tara, "You'll let them know they can stay?"

"Yeah, I will. And Anne?"

"What?" I snap.

"Jesus would've done the same."

I sigh, "I know."

"What'd Siddiq say, will he live?" Michonne asks, somberly.

I shrug, "He won't give me a solid answer. Says there's hope if he makes it through the day."

Tara walks away, "I'm going to go check on him."

We watch her leave, before Daryl walks closer to Michonne and I.

Michonne looks at me, "Keeping her here is a risk. You know that. We all do."

"I do, yeah. But we need answers, and someone has to pay for what happened to Jesus."

"I'll get her to talk," Daryl reassures us.

"If she doesn't, you know what you have to do."

I nod, "And I'll do it with pleasure."

Michonne nods, and then walks away as well.

I sigh, and go to walk, too; but Daryl grabs my arm, "You wanted to talk."

I pull my arm back immediately, already feeling the cold sweat dripping down my spine. I draw in a sharp breath and then breathe out, "Don't touch me. And right now, I want to go home, and help my kids with their homework. My kids." I repeat, giving him a subtle threat to stay away.

I don't need the kids getting attached and for him to up and leave again. I couldn't handle that again, especially with three heart broken kids involved.

"I can't see 'em?"

"No. They know who you are, but no. You can't see them. You can't go near them. You can not let them get attached to you. Because when you leave again, it'll crush them. They've gone through enough without losing their father a second time. Hell, Paul doesn't even talk. Hasn't ever. I keep waiting, but it's been six years, and he hasn't uttered a peep."

"Because of me?"

I run my hands through my hair, "I don't know, Daryl. I don't know why he doesn't talk."

"Aaron," I call as he packs a crate into the wagon.

"Hey," he greets, bitterly.

I roll my eyes, "Jesus, he made it through the night, Siddiq says he could live. He could be okay. You don't have to go, you can stay, if you wanted."

He glances at Michonne before looking back at me, "How? Am I supposed to sit by and watch another man that I love die? How do you expect me to do that?"

"And leaving while he's in pain and needs you? How do you expect him to forgive you when he gets better?"

"He's not getting better, Anne! He's going to die, and I can't watch that happen again! Don't you see that? Can't you understand that?"

I glare at him after his outburst, and say coldly, "Have a safe trip home."

"Who are you?" I ask as Daryl and I storm down into the cells, glaring at the girl who rushes to the corner farthest from the bars. I unlock the cell and we enter it as she trembles, squatting in the corner.

"Answer the question." Daryl demands. "You wanna die? Is that it?"

"Daryl, what's your problem?!"

"Shut up Henry, this doesn't involve you," I say just barely sparing Carol's boy a glance. He's locked up for being drunk and disorderly the other night when Jesus got hurt.

"Do you?" Daryl repeats, to the girl. People up there are worried about a good man. And they are ready to string you up right now."

"He's right, all we'd have to do is tell them you aren't cooperating, and your hanging, well little lady; it'd be celebrated."

"How many in your group?"

"I already told you-"

Daryl moves forward and pulls her up by the arm yelling, "Get up!" He shoves her into the cell and holds her there by her neck, "How many?!"

"10! 10! There were 10 of us! I think. We wore skins to blend in. We didn't have names. I mean... I mean, we did, but we didn't use them."

"How long have your group been near here?" I ask.

"I don't know. We moved around with the with the dead. I mean, the skins made them leave us alone. They protected us, so we protected them."

"You got a camp? Walls?"

"Walls?" She scoffs, "Walls don't keep you safe. Places like this don't make it. They never make it. That's how it is. My mom and me, we saw it happen over and over. I-I barely remember the world before all this. But my mom, she told me how it was changing, how we had to change with it, how we needed the dead and each other to keep safe. We're never alone."

"Why'd your group try to kill my people?" I ask.

When she doesn't answer, Daryl pulls out his blade and yells, "Tell her!"

"We're always gonna kill you, okay?!" She yells. "It's just what people do now. Everybody still alive's a threat. It's us or them." She starts crying again.

"How many people in your group?"

"I already-"

"The truth!"

"It is the truth!"

"Don't lie to me!"

"My mom! It's just my mom. She's a good person. Please don't go looking for her. Please. She's just one woman, out there alone."

"You just told us that your people are never alone." I observe, angrily.

"She-She was at the cemetery. She got separated, but just her."

"Liar!" Daryl shouts.

"Please, I'm telling-"

Daryl grabs her arm and drags her to the cell door.

"No! No, I told you the truth!" She begs.

"I told you what was gonna happen!" Daryl shouts.

"Daryl!" Henry yells, sounding scared.

"Shut up!" Daryl spits back at the boy.

"That was everything! Please! Please! Let go of me!"

"Daryl, stop!" Henry demands.

"Please, Daryl, please don't kill me, please. Please. Please."

Daryl drops her arm, and she quickly scurries back into her cell like a wounded animal.

I scoff, and storm out. How could he? After what she did to Jesus. After everything. Now he goes soft?

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 58.) Evolution

"Who was that man?" Gracie asks, softly.

I hesitate, before answering, "Your dad."

"He wears a ring, too. So's he must still be in love," Hope observes.

"Then he can lives with us again and we can be a family again, right?" Gracie asks.

I shake my head, "It's not that simple, girls."

"Why not?" Gracie insists.

"Because it's just not, Grace."

"Riders are coming!" I hear the calls and rush to the gates, Tara at my heals.

"You pick a good time to finally step up," she bites.

I roll my eyes, "I did step up, just not in the way you wanted. How many are there!" I call up to Dianne.

"Six," she yells back. "No, wait..."

"Wait? Wait for what?"

"It's Michonne."

"Ask her what she wants."

When the gates open, I eye Michonne closely. "Jesus is out with a search party looking for Eugene, I usually let him decide when newcomers should stay or not... after-"

Michonne coughs pointedly, and I take the hint.

"Well, my judgement has been a little off since then." I finish, discretely.

"Eugene's missing? Since when?"

"I figure that's your business, not mine, Michonne. Rosita says they got seperated."

"How is she?" Siddiq asks.

I glance at Enid; who says, "She was unconscious when she got here, but she'll be fine. It's dehydration and heat exhaustion, mainly. She should wake up soon."

"If she's been out the entire time, how do you know Eugene was with her?" Michonne asks.

"Aaron told us," Tara responds.

"Aaron's here?"

"No, he's with the search party helping Jesus and Daryl." I reply.

"Daryl came down from his mountain with Carol and Henry." Tara bites out. "It's like the old gang's back together."

"Which way were they headed?" Michonne asks, obviously trying to remain respectful.

"You can pick up their trail, but you're not gonna catch them before nightfall." Alden speaks up.

"It's Daryl," Tara adds. "Probably on their way back already. You can have your weapons back when you leave tomorrow."

"Tara," I snap. She shrugs and I turn back to Michonne, "She's right, you can have your weapons back, when you leave. And as for you folks," I stop when I notice the younger looking of the women starts signing. I begin to sign what I'm saying as well, "I'll want to speak with my right hand man before deciding on if you'll stay or not, but... if you do stay, you'll have to earn your place here; there are no free rides."

The woman who resembles the youngest approaches me, signing "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"You sign?" The youngest asks, continuing to sign as she speaks.

"I do, I'm rusty, it's been years since I've signed; but my brother was a deaf mute, so I had to learn." Your son is also mute. I shake away the thought. “I’m Antionette,” It takes me a second to sign out each letter.

A wild looking woman with lighter brown hair steps forward, “I’m Magna, this is Yumiko,” she gestures to a woman who appears to be of asian discent with black hair and a bandaged head. “Luke.”

She gestures to a bigfer man, also with brown hair who gives off a whymsical air, he smiles and says, “Hey.”

“I’m Kelly,” says the youngest woman, “and this is my sister Connie.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Get settled, Jesus shouldn’t be long, and he’ll want to meet you straight away; I’m sure.”

"Momma?" Hope speaks quiestly as I tuck her in that night.

"Yeah, Baby?"

"Will the new peoples be stayin'?"

"I think so, but Uncle Jesus will have the final say in that.”

"Will our daddy stay?" Gracie's soft words startle me, and I sigh.

"I don't think so, Hunny."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't like to stay in one place for long."

"Oh, okay. Goodnight Mommy."

"Goodnight, my angels."

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

I know it’s not Walking Wednesday; but I just wanted to say I love what your doing with the storyline so far. I think you’ve stayed true to Daryl’s true character better than any other books I’ve read, and it makes it so much easier to read. Thank you!

No, thank you and everyone who reads my story! There’s 25 people who’ve followed this storyline, and I’m so unbelievably honored. I wanted to try to keep Daryl as true to his character in the movies as possible, which is why the story is so much fun to write, he’s such a difficult significant other to write about, and it makes it challenging to see how these two character could fall in love and be happy together. Thank you for reading this and sending me a message!

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 57.) Stradivarius

"Is daddy dead?" I hear Hope ask as I tuck Gracie into bed. I glance at Jesus, he nods, and goes over to sit on Paul's bed. Paul's 6 years old now, and the girls are now 7.

I wasn't even sure if they remembered Daryl anymore.

"No, sweetheart, Daddy's not dead."

"Then where's is he?" Hope asks.

I take a deep breath, "He's gone. He left us..."

"Is it cause I'm 'dopted?" Gracie asks, softly.

"Oh no, Hunny. No, of course not." I hesitate before continuing. "Daddy lost a big part of who he was when he lost his best friend. When your Uncle Rick died, he blamed himself, and a part of him died, too. Ba So he left..."

"Paul's tired," Hope says, yawning. I force a smile, ruffling Gracie's hair and kissing the top of her head, then walk over to kiss the top of Hope's head. I then kiss Paul's head. "Goodnight my angels." I say.

Jesus follows me outside and I lean against the trailer door, sighing.

"You okay?" He asks, gently.

"I thought they'd forgot about him. I'd hoped they had. Although, I'd also hoped Paul would have spoken by now."

"He will, when he's ready."

"I hate when your right," I tease, shooting him a fake glare.

"I'm always right."

"Oh, shut up."

"Is daddy ever coming home?" Gracie asks, casually.

We're brushing down some horses, and Gracie; well she has a knack with them.

"I don't know, Hunny. But probably not."

"You wears a ring on your finger, Enid says married grownups do that when they in love."

I nod slowly, "Yeah... And there's a part of me that still loves your daddy... but there doesn't seem to be a part of him that still loves me... so he probably won't be coming back."

"Does he still wears his ring?"

I swallow, the conversation causing an ache in my heart I try most days to forget is even there. "I don't think so, Hunny."

"But you don't know?"

I shake my head, "No, I don't know for sure."

"Maybe he'll come back and we can be a family."

"We are a family, Lovie."

"Kids are s'posed to have Daddies who tuck us in, not Uncles with long hairs."

"You don't like Uncle Jesus tucking you in?"

"I love Uncle Jesus, but he ain't our daddy. That's a daddy's job."

I sigh, "Aren't you going to be late for class?"

Gracie giggles, "Yeah, but I'm almost done."

"Hurry up, you've been late everyday this week, asking me all sorts of questions this early in the morning."

She grins, a dimple showing in her cheek, "You usually like my mornin' questionings."

"Get your butt to class," I say, teasingly.

I sit listening to music with Jesus while the kids are in school, "So how's it feel to be the big shot?" He asks, teasingly.

I roll my eyes, "You're the one in charge, Jesus, not me."

"I'm not in charge," he responds, a little snippity.

"Well, then, if neither of us are in charge why is Tara coming our way to debrief us?" I ask, waving at Tara.

"Hey," she greets, "You two are spending a lot of time with Georgie's records."

"It's a nice collection," I say.

"And we appreciate the gift," Jesus adds.

"Maggie send another letter?"

"Yeah, the twins dropped it off this morning. She's good. Happy."

"Get to the point Tara, what do you need?" I say, noticing her stiff stance.

"Got a list of people that want to talk to you," she says, addressing me.

"Great, let's hear it."

"I have 20 minutes before I have to be back to the infirmary."

"Okay," I say again, listening.

"Mm. Okay, Tammy Rose wants to expand the crop fields, but she needs to see how far she can cultivate."

"Then let her," I respond, unsure why on earth that needs approval.

"Um, Enid still needs more room in the garden for medicinal herbs."

"Ask Tammy Rose to try to find enough room while cultivating for the medical herbs," again, why does this need my approval.

"Um, Alden also needs your okay to send another team out for scrap metal."

"Ask him to have Dianne lead it, and tell him to pick only one other person to go along with them."

"Okay... There's a noise complaint from trailer 7. And-"

"Why did you give that kid a kazoo?" Jesus asks, sounding amused.

"You- You find a kazoo, you give it to a kid. I'll deal with it. And there's this." She pulls out a piece of paper, handing it to me, "Congrats on being re-elected leader of Hilltop."

"Fuck," I mutter, and Jesus grins.

"Yeah, well, a win is a given when no one runs against you."

"You could at least pretend to be happy," Tara chastizes me.

I roll my eyes, "Why can't they vote for Jesus?" I ask.

"Because I don't want it," Jesus says, still grinning.

"Neither do I, and you've been here longer."

"This place is a mess," Tara interrupts us, gesturing to the papers strewn all around the landing. "Just take Maggie's office. She'd want you to have it."

"I don't want Maggie's office."

"'Cause you still think this is temporary?"

Jesus gets up, "I'm gonna go check on those crop fields for Tammy. Wanna come, Anne?"

"Hell yeah I do," I respond, gratefully.

"What? Now? I-I have a list of things that I have to go over."

"Cool, we'll go over them when I get back."

I go with Jesus to the stables, but we split there. He goes to meet with Aaron, and I sit with the horses.

"How is she?" I ask after Jesus came and woke me up, telling me that he and Aaron found Rosita in the woods. That by the time they'd got her back to Hilltop she'd passed out.

I followed him to the red house to speak to Tara, the kids sleepily following us as well; Jesus carrying Paul in his arms.

"Any change?" Jesus adds.

"No, she's still out. But she's gonna be okay. She's just dehydrated. Enid has her on an IV." She sighs, "It was weird seeing her after all this time. Aaron, too. What were you guys doing out there?"

"I've been training him. Talking to him. Keeping the lines of communication open," Jesus explains. "Making sure they're still alive. To try and get Alexandria on board with the fair. They won't. I can't accept that. You shouldn't, either. It's important."

"Listen, everybody here is starting to notice how much you're gone. The fair is important to all of us, but we need you here."

"Why?"

"Because your our leader's adviser!"

"Well, maybe I shouldn't be."

"Jesus," I respond, taken aback.

"Well, look, the both of you. I know you both think you're just keeping a promise to Maggie, but you two took these jobs. So stop pretending it's just for now. She's not here. You two are. Your people are counting on you. Maggie is counting on you. I'm counting on you. I came- I came to tell you that I'm going out in the morning to look for Eugene. You two need to stay here, keep this place together." She storms out after that, and Jesus looks at me exasperatedly.

"Eh, I say go anyway. According to her, I'm in charge of you, not her."

He lets out a small chuckle, "She's not wrong, you did take this job."

"We, we took this job. You said you'd help. Now, go tell Tara to send word to Alexandria of Rosita's wherabouts and her condition. I'm going to get these kids back to bed."

He nods, passing Paul to me.

"Daryl's here."

I turn around from where I'm brushing my favorite horse. "What? What did you just say, Jesus. Because if you're fucking with me, I might have you kicked out."

"He's here."

I rush out of the barn and see Daryl getting on his bike, "Hold it," I yell, and he turns to see me, I watch as he visibly takes a deep breath.

"I want to talk to you," I say, staring him down.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" I hear Gracie ask, and a part of me damns her curiosity. Hope and Paul are right behind her, and I look from them to Daryl.

"Uncle Aaron!" Hope yells happily and runs into Aaron's arm, giggling, Gracie follows immediately.

Paul is standing by my side now, staring at Daryl. It shocks me how much the two resemble one another.

"We'll talk, I promise. But I'm going to help find Eugene first."

Carol approaches me, and Paul grins up at her, she almost places a palm on my shoulder but thankfully let's her hand drop just before contact is made. "He'll talk with you, even if it means I have to kick his ass to get him to do so."

I nod once, and he drives off behind the rest of Eugene's search party.

I look back to Carol, "Why are you here?"

"Henry wants to learn about blacksmithing. I brought Daryl as a persuasion tactic." I can see in her eyes that she's mostly joking.

"Well Henry," I say turning to the blonde boy who's grown so much since I saw him a year or so ago. "Let's go introduce you to Earl and Alden, I'm sure Earl would love to Mentor you."

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

What! Daryl left his whole family behind? I don’t believe it, can you explain your thought process on this please!!!

He did, yes. Just like in the series he went to search for Rick’s body; and when he never finds him, he stayed. It was easier to hide then to face everyone. He blames himself for Rick’s death, and Anne tried to talk him out of it, so in his eyes she blames him as well.

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 56.) What Comes After

"Rick!" I yell, as Daryl shoots one of the dead who's close to biting him.

"What is he doing?! He's hurt!" I hear Maggie call.

"That herd that went right through Hilltop. He's trying to bring down the bridge." Daryl explains. My heart stops.

"No," Michonne yells.

"We turn them around. Fight 'em back." Maggie orders. "Fire your guns. Try to divert them."

"It's not working!" Carol yells.

"Keep trying," Maggie orders.

I help Daryl shoot the dead, trying to keep them away from Rick as a box of explosives fall.

"We have to do more," I yell as Rick raises his gun.

"Rick!" I hear Michonne yell as Rick fires his gun, blowing up the bridge.

I look up at Daryl to see him crying, and fall into his chest, gasping for air as I sob into his chest. He holds me silently, I can feel the tears falling on my face before he pulls me from his arms and I fall to the ground to see him walk away.

I can't get up as the pain strikes brutal once again. Making me imobile. The pain too much to handle.

"Daryl," I whisper, but he doesn't come back. He doesn't come back...

~*~

It's been 8 months, Daryl moved the kids and I to Alexandria, and then he left to find Rick's body.

I've been doing what I can for Michonne while she's been pregnant and Aaron's been helping me with the kids.

I rush to the gate, Paul in my arms when I hear someone's been brought here. I hear the stranger, a darker skinned woman say, "Oh, my God Michonne?"

"Jocelyn?"

Jocelyn has a group of kids with her, and both women look excited to see one another.

"Jocelyn. Jocelyn! You've lost too much blood!" I hear Siddiq yell. "Michonne!"

"Hey, hey. Joss, what are you doing?"

"I have to go back." Joselyn says, trying to break Siddiq's hold. She seems terrified and Aaron and I rush forward after Michonne.

"No, there's no way she can travel right now." Siddiq explains.

"I have to. There are others."

"What others?" Michonne asks, trying to calm her friend down. "Whoa! Oh, hey, hey, hey. You cannot go out there like this."

"I have to find them."

"Find who? Joss, wait!"

"No, you don't get it!"

"Hey. Hey. It's me. It's me. Talk to me. Tell me what you need."

"Mich, I need help."

So we do, we go on a mission to find the rest of Jocelyn's kids. A group of us, lead by Michonne.

"You sure about this one?" Rosita asks.

"Yeah," one of Jocelyne's boys responds. "This is one of the places Joss hid us. I'm pretty sure some of 'em would come back here."

"Well, if we want in, looks like we got to go aro Crafty maneuver." Eugene states. "Points for dexterity. Does your compadre plan on moseying her way 'round again?"

"Uh yeah," the boy answers, cautiously. "She'll mosey."

We go in one of the rooms, drawings fill the walls and the older boy whistles. An answering whistle can be heard, and then a group of more kids reveal themselves.

I watch as the group of kids, now including Judith, Hope, Gracie and even Paul sit in a big group.

One of the older kids asks, "Okay.Who wants to play the quiet game?"

A chorus of "I do!"s can be heard, then some shushing.

Then a kid giggles, and all the kids start saying, "He lost! He lost! He couldn't do it!"

"Hey, at least he lasted longer this time, Marcus." A kid says.

"All right, who wants to play the quiet game again?"

Another chorus of "Me!"s is heard.

I listen as they errupt into giggles again.

"Hey," I hear before someone stands next to me.

"Hey Aaron."

"It's nice, hearing them all laugh, isn't it."

"It's like medicine..."

I tense as he leans his shoulder against mine briefly and feel my heart begin to race.

"Don't touch me," I whisper, hoarsely.

"Sorry, you okay?"

I shake my head, watching my kids play, "I won't be okay again, not 'till he comes home."

"He will, you know he will."

I shake my head again, "Not until he has a body, he won't... and if he hasn't found one yet... well I doubt he ever will."

I approach behind the rest of the parade of parents ready to pick up their kids, but Jocelyn doesn't answer the door.

"Fuck this," I mutter, moving past the other parents and walking inside.

No one is here, so I run out, yelling, "Hope! Gracie! Paul! Paul! Hope! Gracie! Denise Hope Dixon! Carol Gracie Dixon! Dimitri Paul Dixon!"

"Something's wrong." I hear and rush over to where I hear it from, "The infirmary was raided."

"No." I say as Michonne starts yelling.

"No No.No, no, no, no! Joss, no!"

A blonde man who's name I can't remember leans dead against a wall, tiny shoe prints can be seen going down below the sewage.

"No!" I scream.

"Let's take a break," Daryl says.

I shoot a glare at him, but when he gestures to Michonne I see that she's truly struggling.

"I know you wanna be out here. But you got a baby, you know? We'll find them. We will." They sit down on some swing sets, but I can't sit. It's the first time I've seen Daryl in months, and our babies are missing. My babies are missing.

"I can't believe this. She was a friend, you know? Like, a real one."

"Sure she was," I spit out, but am silenced by a look from Daryl.

"We went through everything together. Figuring out who we were gonna be. Heartbreak. Losing my mom I wanted her to be that again, you know? I needed it. I let my guard down, and now-"

"Hey. This ain't on you. Not even a little."

"I should've known, Daryl. I should've sensed something."

"You didn't 'cause you ain't like her. Some people just got so much evil in their hearts, and they hide it, like they're wearing a mask or somethin'. Nah. This is on her, and she'll pay. We'll find 'em. We will."

I start pacing when he puts a comforting hand on Michonne's knee.

"Let's go, so we can find them." I spit, and so Michonne get's up.

We make it to what looks kind of like an old school and see one of the red headed kids.

"PJ!" Michonne yells, scaring the girl and she takes off, so we follow.

Michonne and I are stopped by a group of the kids.

I hear Daryl call, "Anne?"

"Where are our kids?" I ask, angrily.

"Drop 'em." The kid who'd helped us find the others those many days ago says.

"Just tell us that they're safe," Michonne orders, and a kid shoots Daryl.

"No!" I scream.

"I said. Drop it."

"Okay," I nod, as Michonne repeats me. We both get on our knees.

I'm then hit on the top of my head and everything goes black.

I come to, and see Daryl, alive. We're surrounded by kids. Jocelyne is sat in the corner.

"She's awake." The blonde boy, Linus approaches Daryl with a hot iron in the shape of an X, he then lifts Daryl's shirt.

"Go on, Linus. Be strong." Jocelyn commands.

He places the hot iron on Daryl's skin and he screams out in pain; a haunting scream.

"Well done, Linus." Jocelyne says, walking over to Linus.

"Again."

He heats up the X once more and approaches me. Daryl starts struggling, but I close my eyes, biting against the wrap in my mouth, gagging me. I feel the seering pain burning my flesh as the smell hits my nose. I hear my screams as though they weren't my own.

Linus approaches Jocelyne, "The strong survive."

"And thrive." Jocelyne finishes for him, then approaches Michonne. "I told you, children are capable of anything. I taught them, helped them become what we are. Because they can't be soft. Not now. Not like I was."

"Where is she?!" Michonne gasps from around her gag.

Jocelyne turns to Winnie, the little blonde girl. "Control it, Winnie. Don't let it control you."

The hot iron is placed on Michonne's skin just as I pass out.

I come to and see Daryl lowering me to the ground, gently.

"We should split up." I hear Michonne suggest.

"All right. I'm gonna tie him up." Daryl tells her.

When the kids tied up, Daryl helps me up and we go outside, he lets me brace my weight on him as we enter the outside of the building. Winnie runs away and I hear Michonne's broken call of Judith's name.

"Hope, Gracie, Paul?" I ask, as Judith comes running out.

"Mommy! Daddy!" The two small voices are music to my ears, and Daryl rushes us forward, letting me go only to pick up our three kids in his arms, littering their faces in kisses as tears stream down my cheeks.

We spend that night as a family once again. And I sleep that night, for the first time in months.

I sleep, because I feel safe.

Safe next to the man I love.

And the next day, he leaves again. And Michonne starts ruling with a strict no outsiders point of view. So I leave to Hilltop with the kids. I leave without word to Daryl. Without saying goodbye to Michonne or Tara, or Siddiq.

~*~

I ride with Jesus and Tara to meet with King Ezekiel, Carol and Jerry. We start loading up our saddle bags with medicine and smaller rations.

"We really appreciate this," Jesus says. "Maggie wanted to thank you personally, but with people still sick..."

"I'm just glad to hear the worst is past."

"Thanks to the Kingdom," Tara says.

"And to you, too, apparently. We were surprised to see you." Carol states.

"Yeah, well, not as surprised as Michonne's gonna be when she realizes I'm not going back home. Yeah, I kind of took off with more supplies than the Council was willing to spare. I get why they think Alexandria couldn't do more, but we're family."

"Speaking of-" Jesus starts.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. I grabbed one more thing before I left." She goes and grabs the scroll. "Michonne was letting it collect dust."

"Uh, Maggie's not exactly the biggest fan of Michonne right now." Jesus explains.

"So we figured the Kingdom could hold onto it," I add.

"I thank you," Ezekiel states. "I haven't given up on the idea this embodies. I still believe that this will bind us into something more, because we are family. When the time comes, we'll reunite. The leaders will sign it together, and our communities will begin anew again. As one. Until that day, I am honored to be the keeper of the path forward."

"That's what we were counting on," Jesus states. He walks forward and shakes his hand, "Thank you again, for everything."

"Take care," King Ezekiel states, "Give Maggie our best."

"We will," Tara says giving everyone hugs.

"Laters." Jerry says, highfiving Tara.

I walk over to Carol, "Have you heard from him?"

She shakes her head, "Not since last time, I'm sorry..."

I nod, "He's missed out on so much of his kids' lives, I'm more sorry for him."

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 55.) The Obliged

"So you don't want Negan dead?" Daryl asks, angrily.

I glance at our sleeping toddlers, checking to make sure they're still asleep before responding as calmly as I can, "Of course I do, Daryl. I just don't agree with us having let Cyndie and Ocean Side murder Arat. She was trying, trying to be one of us, and we..." I close my eyes as the sounds of Arat’s begging us to save her, sounds in my ears. "We let-"

"We let Cyndie get the revenge she deserved."

"We might as well have killed her ourselves," I bite back.

"I owe Maggie."

I eye him for a moment, not responding. I know he still blames himself for Glenn's death. I also know that I'm not Rick's biggest fan... but to have let those women do what they did... it still haunts me.

Every time I close my eyes I hear Arat's screams filling my ears.

They mix with the screams of every one else we've lost and then I can't breathe. My chest starts to tighten, and then the sharp pains start. Pains that feel worst than any injury I've had so far, and it becomes harder for me to keep myself in the present... but I can't tell him any of that, I can't explain that I don't want any more blood on my hands. Because that's what this'll be. Another death that I aided in, that I helped happen.

"Okay," I whisper, "What can I do?"

"Hold down the camp, just... just make sure no one suspects anything."

I nod, "Okay."

"You're on our side, with this one?"

I nod again, "I'm always on your side, even when I don't agree with it. I'll always have your back. I'll always be helping you, no matter what."

"C'mere," he offers, holding out his arms. I hesitate, before running into them, feeling his embrace engulf me, calming my racing heart.

He leans down so he can look me in my eyes, "If we don't do this, thing'll keep getting bad."

I shake my head, mumbling, "Things are already bad. We do this, we lose any help we have from the Saviors."

"We've already lost 'em. It don't matter anymore."

I nod slowly, but as he places his lips on mine, and my eyes shut, I hear the screaming.

I feel Daryl's hand on my lower back and my chest begins to tighten painfully, but when I gasp, he assumes I did it out of adreneline.

Out of passion.

So he deepens the kiss, his tongue making its way into my mouth and I can't breathe.

He's too close.

The world starts spinning around me and I pull myself forcefully from Daryl's grasp, going to the ground and gripping my sides, trying to get the pain to stop.

"Wh-whats happening?" He asks, worriedly.

I shake my head, tears streaking down my face, I can hear his voice as though from underneath a body of water.

The pain is unbearable, I want it to stop, I want everything to stop.

"What to stop, Ann, talk to me."

"I'm fine," I manage to gasp out, it sounds weak.

I sound weak...

I am weak.

"Bullshit, what's happening, what can I do?"

I shake my head, forcing myself to stand up, the thought I'm having a heartattack, crosses my mind.

But no, I'm too young, there's no history in my family.

I move slowly to the bed I share with Daryl and lay down, curling up into the fetal position, praying that the pain will end, that maybe it'll just take me out and I won't have to worry about anything any more.

The screams stay in my head, echoing around the walls of our tent.

Daryl, Maggie, Anne!

Please!

Don't let them!

I'm one of you!

I'm one of you!

Please!

I see her pleading eyes as she kneels infront of Cyndie.

As she begs for her life.

Tears streaming down her face.

I walk out of our tent the next morning to see Daryl peeling apples with his knife, giving them to our kids and eating some as well. He's watching Rick and Eugene.

Eugene's speaking, "I am truly very sorry I didn't do more. Maybe if I'd just, well, read more books Engineering, motivational, or otherwise... Maybe we would've... Maybe we could've..."

"Don't do that," Rick interrupts him.

"What?"

"You're not just a guy who read some books. You made something. You got us here. After everything; that's everything."

"What's that about?" I ask as Rick walks away.

"The bridge ain't gonna get fixed in time befor the river takes it out."

I nod, "So we can go home?" I ask, glancing at Paul as he makes grabby hands to me.

I smile, picking him up.

"What happened last night?" Daryl asks.

I shake my head, gesturing to the kids, "Nothing, it happens sometimes," I boop Paul's nose saying in a baby voice, "Yes it does, yes it does."

I glance at Daryl who looks worried, "Plan happens today."

I nod, "I'll stick around here until you give me the say so."

He nods, "Then we'll talk. Jesus probably misses the kids, he can take them."

"Okay," I respond, not wanting to argue; but also knowing I have no plans on explaining my condition to him. Hell, I don't know what's happening to me.

"Got somethin' for you, jefe." Jerry says, riding up on his horse along side where Rick just came out of Carol's tent.

"What is it?" Rick asks.

"Maggie's running down to Alexandria. Jesus thought you should know, pronto."

I glance pointedly at Daryl. Thank you, Jesus.

"When did she leave?"

"Dunno. Call just came in from the Hilltop relay."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Just that you'd know what that means. Sorry, man, that's all I got."

"No. No. Thanks, Jerry." Rick starts rushing past the tents. Calling in on his radio. "Alexandria Relay One, this is Rick Grimes. Come in, please." We can't hear what AR One is saying, just Rick's part. "AR One, I need you to get an urgent message to Alexandria. If Maggie Rhee shows up, delay her at the gate and alert Michonne right away. Do not, I repeat. Do not let her in without an escort. Over."

"Show time," Daryl says, standing up.

I stand up and give him a peck on his cheek, "Please, be careful."

"Yeah." He nods, hugging me briefly and ruffling Gracie's hair.

"And, Maggie, if you're listening; let's talk." I hear Rick say as Daryl appraches him.

"Hey. What's goin' on?"

"Maggie's headed to Alexandria. She's about do something she might regret."

"Hop on," Daryl offers, gesturing to his bike. "I'll take you."

"You sure? We got enough fuel?"

"Yeah. We'll get there quicker."

They get on the bike and leave.

"Where's daddy goin'?" Gracie asks.

"To talk with Uncle Rick."

"Why?" Hope asks.

"Because Uncle Rick is making some calls daddy and Auntie Maggie don't agree with. He'll be back soon, it's okay."

I stand next to Carol, pulling my gun out as the Saviors come running up on us.

"Where'd you get the gun, Jed?" Carol asks just above whisper.

"Alden wasn't as quick as you. Surprised me, too."

My breath catches, Alden...

"How about we all lower our weapons. Nobody gets hurt today."

"That's right," Jed seethes. "Listen to the woman. Drop your guns. Party's over. See, uh, I took the scenic route, but I figured it out. Oceanside's killing us. So now, being that it's war, they're gonna get what's comin' to 'em."

"Stop it, Jed. You're gonna get everybody killed."

"Excuse me, Carol. You ain't bosslady no more. You're a weak little woman who got in a lucky shot. And now listen to what I say. Now, step aside." I click my gun as he does, not lowering my weapon, but Carol does, and she moves aside, but as Jed goes for her keys, she kicks his leg out from underneath him, yelling, "No!"

A gun fires, echoing in our ears, my heart pounding painfully in my chest as I shoot down Jed, hitting his shoulder.

More gunfire sounds, I have to focus on breathing as I continue the fight. Shooting at the people who are shooting at my loved ones. My heart hammering as the gunshots echo in my ears and Arat's screams join the sounds of battle.

My kids are in the tent, right next to where this is happening. They are in danger, I can't lose it right now. I can't let this happen. I can't lose it. I can't be weak.

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 54.) Warning Signs

When Justin, the long haired man who Daryl fought with's body is brought to camp, all hell starts breaking loose.

"Guess they're gonna execute every last one of us!" A Savior by the name of Jed yells; he was the one I fought on the bridge. "Just like Justin!"

"Not if we have guns, too." Regina responds.

Voices begin overlapping one another, and soon the long blonde Savior named Laura starts breaking through, yelling with the rest.

But she can't stop it, and one of her friends move forward, and I punch him. He came way too close to my kids, who are just in my tent. The tent we're all fighting in front of.

That starts the arguing turning physical, as more punches are thrown between more people.

Above the yells I hear Alden, "Stop this shit! Stop it!"

People finally calm down and Alden starts talking, "We're gonna find out who did this, and we're gonna make sure it never happens to us again, all right?"

"'Us'? You're not one of us anymore." Jed sneers.

"'Us' means all of us."

He turns to address everyone but as Jed steps forward; I yell, "Alden duck!" Jed misses just partly, and I move forward and deck him right in his lip, breaking it open.

He goes to throw his own punch, but Carol moves forward with one hand on Jed's chest, the other on her gun.

"I thought you were supposed to be our leader," Jed snaps.

"Enough," Carol replies. "Turn around, all of you."

"No can do, Cee. Why don't you go ahead and yank that Roscoe; pop me right here? It's better than worrying about getting it in the back."

Laura rushes forward, as my people start pulling out their guns. "We don't want this. Hey, we just need to protect ourselves."

"No guns!" Daryl's voice rings clearly through the forest.

"That 'cause you're the one took out Justin?" Jed replies.

A short haired Savior disagrees, "Nah. My money's on garbage lady."

"Revenge for Simon's play, sure." Regina says.

A Savior around Daryl's age speaks up, "No. It's him. Finishing what he started." He moves towards an ax and picks it up, some of the other saviors do the same.

"Hey, stop." Arat warns, "It's gonna go too far."

"Nah." Daryl contradicts. "It won't." He loads his crossbow.

"Maybe it's both of them," the savior who first picked up the axe suggests. "Come on." The saviors start approaching us just as Rick rides in on his horse and shoots a gun in the air. "Everyone back off! Right now!"

Aran rushes forward and takes the axe from the instigator. "All right, we are not doing this. Let it go."

"I'll talk to Rick," Alden says. "I'll try and find a way to make everybody feel safe, all right?"

They don't look happy but they start moving.

"Start the redirect," Rick orders. "Pair off to work the grid."

I go back into my tent where the kids are huddled towards the back, silently crying. I pull Gracie and Paul on my lap, Hope curls into my side as I rock them gently.

"Carol," I call as I see her walk past the tent opening.

"Hey, how are you?" She asks.

"I'm fine, Rick's going to go accuse Daryl. Can you sit with the kids, Daryl's temper... it's been worst... He doesn't' need to be fighting with Rick... y'know?"

She nods, "Okay."

I smile briefly before rushing out, towards where Daryl's been camping.

I keep my distance as I hear Daryl say, "Bringing all these people together, it was always gonna happen."

They're sitting in the clearing.

"No. It's the right thing to do. The future belongs to all of us now."

"Why do they get this future? And Glenn don't? Or Abraham? Or Sev? Or Sasha? All the people the Kingdom lost Hilltop Oceanside? You ever think about what they want? What they'd do, if they could?"

"Yeah, I do. I have. For a long time, I wanted it, too, maybe more than anyone. But killing each other when the world already belongs to the dead? It's not the way, not anymore."

I see Daryl's anger sparking.

"Hey, we got Grid duty." I speak up before it can light.

Daryl nods, grabbing his crossbow as he stands up.

"Daryl, I know you don't agree with everything we're doing here. I know you don't either, Anne. All I ask is that you try. Do it. Let people see it. And maybe everyone moves past what's happened to what could happen and maybe, just maybe, it'd be one of the best decisions you ever made. Like not killing a guy who left your brother on a rooftop to die."

"That's a load of shit and you know it, Rick." I respond. "It could just as well be the worst decision. But we'll try. Out of respect for you, well... I'll at least try."

We're on Grid duty and hear Rick call through the radio, "Call it out."

"Grid 1; clear so far." Jerry responds.

"Grid 2's clear." Daryl says into the walkie.

"3 is clear." Rick responds.

"Grid 4 is clear," Maggie's voice confirms.

"Grid 5; clear." That was Arat's voice.

"Piper 1, anything up top? " Rick asks.

"We're good," Dianne can be heard responding. "Nothing moving our way."

"Stay sharp, eyes open. We still got missing people out here." Warns Rick.

"Got activity nearby. Gonna go check it out," we hear Magfie say through the walkie.

"We're headed your way. Grid 5, do the same."

"Can we go help?" I ask, Daryl looks at me for a few calculated moments then nods and we both take off towards Maggie and Cyndie.

We make it to them after meeting with Rick and Rosita; right after they killed the dead.

"You alright?" Daryl asks.

"Yeah," Cyndie replies, holding her bleeding hand. "Just opened it back up."

We watch Maggie push the part of the roof that's clanking off.

"What happened to grid 5?" Rosita asks, "Should've been here before us."

"Grid 5, what's your status?" When no one answers, we take off in the direction they were meant to be patrolling.

Cyndie rushes to Bea's fallen body. "Bea. Bea, wake up." The rest of us followed right behind.

"You okay?" Rick asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

"What happened?"

"Arat called in the all clear, and we headed towards the road, and then I don't know. I think something hit me from behind."

"And Arat?"

"I don't know."

Maggie leans down and picks up the busted walkie, "Whoever did this took her."

We meet later that night in Daryl and I's tent.

"We need to find her," Rick warns.

"Agreed," I pipe up.

"Do the Saviors know?" Cyndie asks.

"Not yet," Carol replies. "They think Arat's on watch through the night. Come morning, they will."

"She could be dead already," Maggie sighs.

"If we don't figure out what happened, Sanctuary is gone." Carol responds.

"If that happens, we won't finish the work before the water rises. We'll lose the bridge."

"If that happens, Rick. A woman will be dead." I feel Daryl's hand grip my shoulder.

"Yo," Jerry speaks up. "Say we nab the perp. Then what?  Who decides what happens next?  Is it... Is it gonna be a 'Gregory' or a 'Negan'?"

"Well, whoever it is, when the time comes, they'll get what they deserve." Cyndie replies, evenly.

"Pair up with someone you trust. We're out there till we find her."

I go to follow Daryl out but he stops me, "Who's going to sit with the kids?"

"That'll be me," Enid says, entering the tent.

"Thank you," I say, sincerely.

"I like the kids, plus it's a nice break from medicine."

"Stay," Daryl grunts. "I'm gonna pair with Maggie."

"I'm coming with, deal with it, or don't. You don't mind, do ya Maggie?"

"Not at all."

"You good with this?" Daryl asks. "Or you just playing nice for Rick?"

"I'm not sure," Maggie responds.

"Yeah, me neither."

"Part of me wishes I could see things his way, look forward and not back. Every time I look at Hershel, I think about how things could've been. And I can't let that go."

"You don't have to," Daryl replies quickly. "I haven't."

"What Rick's doing is right for the future. It's better for Hershel."

A walker starts crawling towards us and Maggie says, "I'll get it."

"All right," Daryl replies.

Daryl walks over to retrieve an arrow from the body next to the dead, inspects it then says, "I know who took Arat."

"Who?"

Maggie shrugs, and we just follow his lead.

Maggie tells us where to go after Daryl told us who.

"So, how do you know about this place?" Daryl asks.

"I think it's where they lived before. It's what I'd do."

"Hey," Daryl says, pointing his flashlight, and we make it to where they have Arat.

"Beg. Beg, like you made them beg."

"Drop it!" I demand, aiming my old Winchester Revolver at Bea.

"Bea. It's okay." Cyndie says, off handedly.

"You took out Justin with that thing?" Daryl asks Bea, and out of the corner of my eye I see he's pointing his crossbow at her as well.

"He killed my husband."

"Daryl, please." Arat begs.

"They got a reason?" I glance at him, horrified. Horrified but ready to follow his lead.

"We've all done things," Arat responds.

"People will find out," Maggie warns them.

I run a hand through my hair before placing it back on my gun, even though Daryl lowered his crossbow.

"She's the last one," Cyndie responds. "After this, it's over."

"Maybe for you. But it won't be. With something like this, it keeps going."

"This was our home. My mother and my grandmother found this place for the group. There were so many of us then. Men and women... kids. My mom and I built a garden. Me and my brother used to play right here. But then the Saviors came. And Simon wanted what we had. He gave us our final warning. Afterward, we ran. And we tried to forget. But, then, your people came and asked us to fight. We did because we couldn't forget. After Rick ended it, we went along because we didn't think we had a choice. Until you hung Gregory. That's when we knew. Rick's rules aren't the only rules. You showed us the way. It was time."

"You did this because of me?" Maggie whispers.

Cyndie starts crying, "They murdered my mother. She shot my brother right here. And they took everything because they could."

"Please," Arat begs. "It's not like that anymore, okay? I'm-I'm one of you now."

"Did you do it?" Maggie asks.

"Simon would've killed me, too!"

"You asked me to beg for his life!" Cyndie snaps, still crying. "He was crying, and you smiled! I told you I loved him. I needed him! He was only 11 years old. And what did you say?"

"I-I don't remember."

"Say it!"

"Please!" Arat begs us with pleading eyes.

"What did you say?" Maggie demands.

"No exceptions," she hangs her head.

When Maggie turns away, and Daryl puts a hand on my lower back, I lower my weapon and turn as well, walking numbly away, hearing her call our names, I hear the moment they kill her, and I feel sick.

"Right after," Maggie says. "We agreed we'd wait."

"Yeah, we did." Daryl agrees.

"Cyndie said I showed them the way. She did the same thing for me." We stop before we hit camp. "We gave Rick's way a chance. It's time to see Negan."

"All right."

I feel my heart drop, but don't say anything. What could I say?

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 53.) The Bridge

"I don't like them out here," Daryl says, yet again. We're at the campsite doing our best to help oversee the building of the bridge.

"And I'm not willing to leave them home alone," I put my hand up as he starts to talk. "I know they'd have Maggie, but I want them with us."

"You could stay home," he responds.

I raise an eyebrow at him, shaking my head.

"Alright, well I'm going to go start working, I'll see you when I get back."

I nod, kissing his cheek; "Be safe."

He nods once, before turning to the girls and picking them both up at once, giving them each a kiss on their cheeks, and then putting them down, although Gracie jumps on his back as he picks up our now year old son, Paul. He tickles his stomach before putting him down as well.

Letting them both down he walks out of the tent.

I start walking to the bridge to bring Daryl and Aaron food and to let Aaron out so he can go watch the girls and Paul and I hear Aaron talking about the girls, "So, I go in after their nap and pick Gracie up, and the diaper just explodes all over me."

"Sounds like good times," Daryl grunts.

"Oh, the best. Well, you know."

"What?" Daryl asks.

After a moments silence, Aaron responds, "You're a great dad."

"Yeah," Daryl grunts back, and it's obvious he doesn't believe the words.

"Yes he is," I say, and they both look up at me, Aaron standing up and walking over to me, grabbing the bit of snake I'd caught and cooked for their lunch.

"Thanks," he says, and starts walking down to relieve Enid of the kids.

"You are a great father," I tell him, as I offer him his snake.

"I'm not around," he responds.

"Your making the future-"

I stop as I hear a bang, when I look I see Henry getting off the ground and as I rush forward to punch the guy who's now drinking the water from Henry's container, Henry knocks him off his feet with his stick and grabs the container and starts walking off.

Another of the Saviors laughs and says, "Hey, man, it's cool. I got my ass handed to me by a kid one time, too. Of course, I was 6 at the time." He helps the first savior up.

The man glares at his buddy then starts walking towards Henry, and Daryl rushes past me and pulls the guy back saying, "Hey. Kid's just doing his job. Get back to work."

The long haired Savior responds with, "I don't need your people telling me what to do. You're not my babysitter anymore." He goes to walk off, but Daryl pulls him back by his arm, and the guy throws a punch, he misses but Daryl's lands, knocking the guy back on his ass, but the man then throws sand into Daryl's eyes.

That's when I rush forward, punching the man square in the jaw, I duck his returning punch and kick his leg out from under him and landing another punch to his face, he gets up quickly and punches me square in the eye, and Daryl grabs him pushing him into a support log, punching him in the face, I'm now fighting his buddy who made the comment about getting beat up by a six year old as Rick comes running up to us, yelling, "Hey! Hey! Break it up! Break it up right now!" I see Rick getting between Daryl and long haired dickhead and then Eugene gets between the asshole fighting me as I keep trying to throw punches at the douche.

"Hey! I said enough! I said enough. Enough." Rick's yelling as I throw another punch at the man after side stepping Eugene.

I feel Daryl's hand catch my arm as I go to throw another punch; and when I turn to see it's him, I huff and walk off.

"So, that asshole just gets a free pass? Is that it?" Daryl demands as we talk in Rick's tent.

"It's just a few more days. I don't like it, either, but we're in a rush to get that work done. He's strong. The Saviors are over half the workforce, and we've had too many walk off already."

"Yeah. 'Cause that's who they are. Some of them ain't ever gonna fall in line just 'cause you say so."

"Daryl's right," Carol agrees. "These people have never had to live together. And we can't expect them to just forget what's happened."

"It hasn't been easy," Rick allows, "I know. It won't be, not for a while, but it's not about forgetting. It's about moving ahead, all of us, together. We keep doing that, they'll see we're all on the same side."

"Are we, though?" Daryl asks. "Are we on the same side, Rick?"

"Well, you tell me."

"Thing is, man, I've been tryin' to. But you don't seem to want to hear it." As Daryl walks out, I follow him.

"It's not been as easy as you've been letting on, has it?"

"No." He responds, shortly.

"I wasn't the one saying we shouldn't kick that asshole out, I'm on your side. Don't treat me like I'm siding with Rick. I'm always on your side, Daryl. I always will be."

"Let's just get back to our kids."

"You and the kids should go back to Hilltop, Jesus'll help."

I sigh, my leg bouncing as I watch our kids playing together. "I want to help out, here... and I don't feel comfortable taking our kids from Aaron... he's close to them."

"Jesus probably misses them."

I nod, "Probably, but he knows where to find us."

"I can't talk you into leavin' can I?"

"Nope, your stuck with us."

"They're gettin' out o' control."

I nod, standing up and approaching Daryl, letting my hands brush over his chest to his shoulders as I look at him in the eyes, "We will figure it out. With or without Rick, we'll figure it out."

"Who has the kids?" Aaron asks as I approach the work site.

"They're with Enid, she's taken over the infirmary, but she offered to take them. Carol said she'd relieve them after a bit."

I jump in to help Aaron and a few of the saviors pull up a log as the mules start freaking, when I glance over, Daryl's killing a walker.

"A herd's comin'! Bug out now!" Daryl calls.

"Oh, Jesus," one of the men holding up the log with a rope yells, "We gotta get the hell outta here." I watch in horror as he drops the rope and jumps.

I feel arms pushing me and hear Aaron say,"Look out." I then watch as if in slow motion as Aaron is crushed by the log.

I hurry to start trying to lift the log off of him, but it's heavy as shit, "Daryl!" I yell.

When he looks, he points to one of the men, "Get them mules out of here!" He points to another man, "You get over here right now!"

We all start trying to lift the log, and then as the Walkers start closing in, Aaron demands, "Go! Get out of here! Go!"

"No," I reply harshly.

"Keep on him," Daryl responds, moving to kill a few of the walkers before jumping in to help us finally move the log off of him.

"Daryl his arm..." I whisper, looking at the bloodied tissue.

"Aw, shit!"

"Oh god..." Aaron mumbles.

"Come on. Get up." Daryl says, gesturing to me to take Aaron's other side to help support him. "Get up! Get up!" We get him to a standing position and start walking, "Come on."

As one of the walkers approach us, it's hit with an arrow.

Reinforcements start running in, Rick passes us and says,"We've got this. Get him back to camp."

"On it," Daryl responds as we trudge through.

We make it to the infirmary tent and Daryl asks, "Where's Siddiq?"

"He's gone. It's just me." Enid responds.

"It's just you, then." Daryl grins laying Aaron down.

Enid looks at the arm and gasps out, "Anne, take your kids, I have to amputate."

"What?" I hear Aaron ask.

"There ain't no other way?" Daryl also asks.

"The only way to stop the bleeding is to amputate and cauterize the wound."

What?" Aaron repeats.

I pick up Paul and Hope and turn to Gracie, "Grab on to my pants leg, lets go."

"Uncle Rin." She gasps.

"C'mon, lets go." I instruct, walking outside and making sure their all looking forward as we all walk out, Aaron's screams following us.

We're outside sitting down when Daryl rushes past us, a few minutes later he comes out punching the long haired asshat. The man doesn't even have a chance to punch back.

"Daryl stop!" Carol says, rushing after them. "Daryl! Daryl."

Carol rushes over and puts a hand on him just as Hope screams, "Daddy!"

Daryl stops then and Carol looks at him, "I said stop. We'll deal with him, but not like this."

"There's only way to deal with these assholes." Daryl snaps before storming away.

"I just put the kids down," I tell Daryl, as he sits on our sleeping bag.

"She's scared o' me." He grunts.

"She'll get over it, your her dad."

"The only time she's called me dad is when she's crying in fear."

"She knows-"

He stands up, "'m gonna go check on Aaron." He then leaves the tent without even a goodbye. And it feels too much like the old us. Only this time, it's him who's running...

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

It’s Walker Wednesday everyone! Any predictions for this weeks chapter?

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

I personally like the idea that Gracie grows up with Daryl and Anne as her parents. I know you occasionally write differently than the show (just like the show changes things about the comics) so I’m predicting that Gracie stays with Anne and Daryl, that Daryl doesn’t follow through with Maggie’s plans and that Rick get’s to survive, meaning there wouldn’t have been any reason for Daryl to leave for 7 yrs.

I do write off script sometimes (is guilty of completely ignoring the existence of a whole entire character)

I’m glad Gracie is a subject of curiosity, I really like writing her and plan to keep her in the story; wherever she may end up.

I really love this last prediction! I’ve already written up to episode nine in season nine, and am so excited for everyone to read what I did with everything.