A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S8Pt9 - A Trade For A Future

The gates to the Hilltop opened and Rick walked in with Michonne. Daryl walked forwards to meet him, and I saw the tenseness in his body still, but after what happened between them I couldn't blame him. Daryl told me he and Rick had a falling out, fought each other over some explosives and a plan, and they've been distant since then. I was sitting at a picnic table with the babies playing on the ground and Judith bouncing in my lap. I then looked up again, and saw Rick again, and knew I had to face him.
I sighed as I stood up and grabbed Judith's hand, and she walked next to me as we approached Rick. I played with her on our walk, picking her up by the hand and lightly swinging her, and she giggled every time she jumped up. I smiled at her and we got down to Rick, who was watching us silently. He then picked up Judith and gave her a long hug.
"Come here sweetheart." He said with his voice slightly cracking.
She giggled and hugged him back, and I managed a smile. I then heard an argument arise and looked around to see it coming from the cage of Saviors Maggie had. There was still about 20 or 30 Saviors held in there, and they were getting pissed off at each other now, but that wasn't my problem to solve now.
I then looked back at Rick and he nodded, then put down Judith. I sighed as I walked up to him and he opened his arms, and I returned his hug. I then pulled back and he left his hand on my shoulder.
"The Scavengers... they're all dead. Negan wiped them out." He told me.
"What?" I asked shocked. "They were a group of over 50 people, how the hell did they all die?"
"I don't know... They left Jadis alive, but still..." Rick explained.
"What did you do with her?" I then asked.
"She's worthless to us now, we don't need her." Was all Rick said.
"Rick..." I said back, not liking what he was hinting at.
"I didn't kill her, okay." Rick then said angrily and backed away from me, making a scene. "We left her. If she lives, if she dies, I don't care, but I didn't kill her!"
Judith then started crying at Rick's tone and he glared down at her, and I could tell he wasn't in the right mind. He went to reach down for her when I lunged forwards and slapped his hand. Judith kept crying and Rick just looked at me, and I gently picked up Judith and bounced her in my arm.
"You fix your attitude before you touch any of my kids, got it?" I threatened and tilted my head menacingly.
Rick just put his hand on his hip and rubbed his eyes, and then nodded slowly.
"Good." I said, the word rolling off my tongue like venom.
Everyone just stared at me, but I turned around to leave with Judith, who was silently crying at this point. I walked passed Daryl who gently laid his hand on my shoulder.
"And you." I said as I saw him, and looked back at Rick. "Get your guys' shit straight." Was all I said, and Daryl nodded in understanding.
I then nodded back and walked away from the group, and starting spending more time with my kids.

~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie and I were taking watch at the gate together, and were keeping an eye out for the Saviors. Rumor had it they were coming today, and we were going to fight.
A car then drove out of the Hilltop, and we both knew it was Rick. He said he was going to distract the Saviors, just try to finish them there so they wouldn't reach us, but who knew what he was really going to do.
"You think he'll come back from this?" Maggie asked me.
"Have you come back?" I then asked, and lowered my binoculars to look back at her. She didn't say anything and I just slightly shrugged. "I just keep going. That's all we can do."
She then looked behind us and saw Michonne and Enid sitting on the steps of the main building.
"Yeah." She then said. "They will too."
"It'll be harder after we finish this, when it's quiet." I said.
"Not if Negan's dead. Not for me, at least." Maggie said and stared forwards into the forest.
I just nodded and bowed my head, then scoffed at myself. "Yeah, not for me either."
Maggie looked at me and then looked back out into the distance, then saw something. She held up her binoculars and I copied her, now seeing what she was seeing. It was a plastic crate in the middle of the empty field with a sign attached to it.
"What the hell?" Maggie asked herself, and then we both looked at each other.
"I'll go get it." I said without another word, and climbed down the guard tower. "Open the gates, I'm taking a car." I told the men on the ground and they nodded.
I then got in a truck and drove it outside the gates towards the crate. As I got closer I noticed the crate was empty, and the sign had something written on it. Cautiously I took out my pistol and got out of the truck, checking around me as I walked to the crate. I then pulled the piece of paper from its post and read the sign to myself.
"If you fill the crates with food or phonograph records, I will gladly exchange them for a key to the future. Meet us ..." The person left coordinates to their location too.
I just shook my head in confusion and grabbed the empty crate. I tossed it in the back of the truck and kept the sign with me. I drove back to the Hilltop and parked inside right next to the gate when Maggie, Enid, Rosita, and Michonne were waiting for me.
"What is it?" Enid asked as soon as I got out of the truck.
I didn't answer as I handed Maggie the letter. Enid then looked into the bed of the truck and stared at the empty crate. Maggie read the letter out loud and noticed the coordinates, and handing it to Michonne.
"This isn't the Saviors." I said. "They'd blow through the gates, make a big show. This isn't that."
Maggie looked at the empty crate and thought to herself, then looked at me.
"I wouldn't put nothing past them." She said.
"Well, if it is a trap, it's kinda obvious." Rosita said.
"Which is what can make it a trap." Maggie then defended.
"What if..." I said and sighed. "What if it's someone who actually wants to help?" I said.
"If someone is trying to help us and we miss out, we miss out. If somebody's trying to kill us, we die." Maggie told me.
"Not if we're careful." I said and shrugged my shoulders, trying to make her believe me.
"Being careful is staying here." Enid said.
"I'll go." Michonne then said.
I looked over at her and nodded.
"I believe Kelley. We gotta try, and see what's up." Michonne said.
"You go, I go." Rosita said in agreement.
"Rick wants us here." Enid then said.
"I know." Michonne said. "But the last time we took a chance like this, it changed everything. Rick didn't agree with me then, he may not understand me now..."
"He won't." Maggie said and shook her head slightly.
"But eventually he will." Michonne said.
"He will." I said in agreement, and we both nodded at each other.
Michonne then began walking away past Maggie, when Maggie spoke up.
"Jesus and the others have been scavenging, and we're still starving." Maggie said, and Michonne turned around. "Maybe this person does have something that can help." Maggie agreed.
"Then I'm coming with you." Enid said.
"Okay. I'll grab records, case this is real." Maggie said, and then checked her ammo in her pistol and sighed, then looked at Enid. "You get extra clips in case it isn't."
Maggie then walked away with Enid, Michonne already was getting her stuff, and Rosita was standing there with me. I sighed to myself and soothing rubbed my arm, and Rosita watched me.
"You going with us?" She asked.
I then shook my head at her. "Nah. I already did my part." I said.
"And that was?" She asked.
I smirked and walked forwards, and rested my hand on her shoulder. "To make you guys see the opportunity, to trust it... to believe in it."
Rosita couldn't help but smirk back at me, and I patted her shoulder. I then walked away, and while they were gone decided to spend every spare second with my kids, again.