Family Ties ✔

Chapter 59

~Daryl~
I followed my brother further into the woods, further and further away from the prison where Lizzie was at once again. How could I have left her like that back there? She needed me then more than ever and I just left, with my own brother. I turned my back on her when she needed me. What bothered me the most was she was almost completely covered in blood and bruises, yet there didn’t seem to be a cut big or deep enough to cause that much blood. It was my fault she had been there and was now in the condition she was in.  “The hell ya thinkin’ ‘bout so hard over there little brother,” Merle grumbled snapping me out of my thoughts and causing me to glare over at him. “Nothin’,” I said looking away from him, “mind your own damn business.”
“What’s got your panties in a twist Darylina,” he asked as I shoved past him, “wouldn’t happen to be that blonde ya carried outta Woodbury would it?” “Leave her out of this,” I snapped as I turned around and faced him, staring him down as he did the same. “Thought as much,” he said as he released a humorless chuckle from this throat, “ya know before ya got there to get the Asian and farm girl, she called out your name little brother.” I looked at him, my heart seeming to break hearing that she called out my name for help while still in Woodbury. Merle chuckled again, noticing my reaction to what he said. “Yeah,” he said walking around me, “shocked the hell outta me she’d call out your name though. Didn’t think ya’d be screwin’ anyone now little brother, let alone a fine piece of ass like that.”
“Watch your mouth,” I snapped, he could say whatever he wanted about me but leave Lizzie the hell out of it. “So ya weren’t screwin’ her then,” he asked and I knew he was baiting me, trying to get a rise out of me and sadly it was working. “Leave her out of this Merle,” I said through gritted teeth. “I believe I heard that girl call her Lizzie,” he said acting like he was thinking, “but I heard another name, Maddie? Who’s this Maddie?” “Her daughter,” I said trying to hold back my anger. “Whoa,” Merle said, “ya bangin’ a woman with a kid now?” “That woman was my fiancé,” I said getting in Merle’s face after having enough of his mouth, “I left her back there possibly dead for you ya sorry piece of shit!” At that moment, I had enough of Merle and made up my mind, I was going back. “Where ya goin’,” he shouted after me as I turned and headed back. “Back to the prison where I belong,” I said without a second glance.
~Lizzie~
“Look I don’t give a damn what you say,” I said sitting up while gritting my teeth, “I’m going to my cell.” “You’re not strong enough to move yet Lizzie,” Maggie said as she, Glenn, and Uncle Rick tried to keep me from getting up off the bunk after waking once again after learning what happened with me and where Daryl was. “I want to be in my cell,” I said as I finally was in a sitting position looking at the three worried members of my group, “with my things. With Daryl’s things.” I watched as they all three shared a looked before Uncle Rick looked back to me and nodded as Glenn and Maggie walked out of the cell. I smiled weakly at him as he helped me stand to my feet and began making our way to the steps and up to my cell. “You sure you wanna do this,” he asked once we reached the landing. “Yeah,” I whispered out as he let go of me, “I have to.”
He nodded once again before turning and walking down the stairs to the main level in the cell block. Turning back to face my cell, I slowly hobbled towards the door, my arm holding my side as I walk before coming to a stop in the doorway. Everything was just as I left it, even Daryl’s things still sitting by the wall close to the bars. Slowly I made my way towards his small piles of clothes where one of his spare sleeveless flannels was laying on top of everything else. Carefully, I bent down and picked it up, placing the fabric to my nose and inhaling his remaining scent from the clothing. Gingerly, I pulled my own top off over my head and pulled Daryl’s on to replace it, scrunching up the fabric between my fingers as I felt another tear slip down my cheek.
Turning to face the bed, I made my way over to it before climbing onto it and laying on my side while pulling Daryl’s pillow up to my face and resting my head against it. “Come back to me baby,” I whispered as I felt more tears fall from my eyes and onto his pillow as I closed my eyes with my back to the cell door and tried to let the darkness take over so I wouldn’t feel the pain of rejection anymore. If this was what my world was going to look like without him in it, then I didn’t want it. I wouldn’t be able to live with this pain, knowing I was probably the reason why he really left and not him finding his brother. “Mommy,” I heard Maddie’s voice call from behind me. I rolled over to see her standing there. “C’mere baby,” I whispered and watched as she came to the foot of the bed before climbing in with me so I could wrap my arm around her and fall asleep.
~Rick~
Madison disappeared a short while after I came back from helping Elizabeth so I figured that’s where she was, with her mom. I walked out to the gates, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious or walkers getting too close when I noticed something moving just out of eye sight in the tree line. “Who’s there,” I called out, raising my rifle I had with me. “It’s me Rick,” I heard a voice call out just as someone stepped out of the trees and looked at me. “Daryl,” I said lowering my rifle as he walked towards the fence as I opened the gate for him to enter. “Where’s Lizzie,” he asked looking around for my niece and her daughter, “and little Mads?” “Daryl I need to talk to you a minute about Elizabeth before you go running off,” I said and I watched as he stopped and looked at me.
“She dead,” he asked and I watched as his heart seemed to break thinking she was gone. “No,” I said shaking my head. “Then what’s there to talk about,” he asked eyeing me curiously before attempting to turn and walk on. “Daryl,” I said and he stopped again, “you know she was badly beaten by the Governor before we got to her. You saw that. But there’s another thing that none of us knew about until we got her back here. Daryl she was pregnant when she was at Woodbury. She miscarried it after all the abuse she received there. I’m sorry Daryl.” “No,” he shouted looking at me before turning and running off towards the cell block. “She’s in your cell,” I called after him, hoping he heard as he continued running and trying to get to her faster.

Yay Daryl's back! Predictions on how Lizzie will react? Also song above I think is a perfect example of what Lizzie's feeling inside. And finally new story to check out: Dixon Blood by sydnieking_.
- Kenz