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

S9Pt23 - When Someone Goes Missing

A couple days have passed and the festival was a success. The kids received their gifts Daryl and I got them last time we went outside the walls, and they loved them. I woke up this morning even to see Daryl playing catch with Lee in the front yard. Now that was a shock. I couldn't believe how much they were bonding together, and it was everything I dreamed for again. Things were finally right again, finally whole. I had my family back.
"Hey Kell." Daryl's voice echoed in the back of my head.
I closed my eyes to his voice and took in a deep breath of relief.
"Kell?" I heard clearer this time.
My eyes snapped open and I saw Daryl staring at me from the yard. I just shook my head and blinked my eyes, readjusting to real life.
"Everything okay?" He asked.
He saw me with my hand on my chest, over my heart, and he looked concerned. I quickly patted my chest and dropped my hand.
"Of course, I'm fine." I said. "Just thinking."
Daryl just tilted his head and fumbled with the baseball in his hand, passing it back and forth into the glove. He then looked back up and nodded towards the kids around him.
"Hey, I was thinking, we were thinking." Daryl then said and nodded towards Lee. "What if we took the car out, go for a drive and find a place to hike? I think I know of a good spot around here."
"I don't know." I said and tilted my head.
"I haven't seen any walkers outside the walls for days." Daryl tried to plead.
"I know, and that's what I'm worried about. It normally means they herd up somewhere. I don't wanna run into that with the kids." I said.
I then walked down the steps of the porch and my girls ran towards me. They hugged me and I wrapped my arms around the both of them.
"Mommy please?" Georgia said. "I wanna go on this hike daddy says it's fun."
"Please mom.." Judith then said quickly. "It's been forever since I've been outside the walls."
I then looked down at her in shock and slowly moved my arm away from her. "No one should like going outside the walls Judy. It's safe in here." I said.
"I know mom, you say that all the time." She said.
"And I'll keep saying it Judith. Because it's true." I said back.
"Kell, come on." Daryl said, and he looked at me with pleading eyes, and I mean how can I say no to them. "Just for the day." He said softly.
I just groaned in annoyance and then nodded my head. "Fine, we'll go." I said.
Everyone suddenly cheered and I saw Daryl and Lee high five at their success. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Okay! Okay! You got me. Mom's on board. Everyone go get your things. Come on, hurry up." I called out, laughing and begun to chase the kids into the house.
They all ran inside and I paused on porch before stepping inside. I closed my eyes and turned around, only to see Daryl smiling over at me.
"What?" I asked, trying to hide my grin.
"Nothing." Daryl said and shrugged, then had a huge grin.
"Yeah yeah. I know." I said and walked forwards. I put my hand on the door and opened it, then turned around one more time. "It's nice to have you home too."

~~~~~~~~~~

Daryl was driving and I was busy looking at a map, trying to see where we wanted to go for a hike. The kids were talking amongst themselves in the back seat and the front was silent.
"There's a place over east, looks like a trail leads into a big field. Could be a nice walk." I suggested.
"Sure." Daryl agreed.
"Alright, turn here." I said.
We were coming up on a right turn and I stared out the window, expecting to watch us take the turn, but instead he kept driving straight.
"Uh, Daryl. I said right back there?" I said.
"Shit." Daryl said and looked back in the rear view mirror.
"That's, uh, that's okay." I said and cleared my throat. "Just, take the next right turn."
"Okay."
Just then I heard some muffled noises coming from Daryl''s bag. I unzipped his bag and rummaged around for whatever was making the noise, and Daryl began trying to stop me.
"Daryl, stop." I said as I grabbed a walkie talkie and pulled it out of the bag.
"Daryl." The walkie talkie spoke. "Daryl come in. Did you find her?"
I just froze with the radio in my hand and Daryl just stared at me.
"Daryl. Hello?.. damn it." The radio said, a voice I recognized to be Aaron's.
"What the hell..." I said, then dropped the radio. "Stop the car."
"Kell, I can explain." Daryl began to say, but I yelled over him.
"Stop the fucking car!" I ordered.
Daryl grunted as he stepped on the brake and I crossed my arms. As soon as the car came close to stopping, I swung open the car door and jumped out. I slammed the door behind me, Daryl followed in suit, and I unleashed onto him.
"What the fuck was that?" I yelled.
"Kell." Daryl said and put his hands up to calm me down.
"No, I'm not going to calm down. Who was that? Was that Aaron? Oh, 'Did you find her?' What is that bullshit." I yelled more.
"Kelley let me explain." Daryl said.
"You didn't come out here just for us. No, you had a job. You decided to find your family for a fucking job! I knew it wasn't from the goodness of your black fucking heart Daryl!" I yelled and felt like I was betrayed again.
"Kelley!" Daryl raised his voice at me.
"What?" I yelled back.
"Eugene is missing." He said.
I just paused and slowly crossed my arms. "So..." I said. "That's not my problem."
"What do you mean?" Daryl said. "That's your family back there."
"My family is right here." I said and pointed at the ground, then pointed at the kids who were staring at us from inside the car. "They are here. My people are back there Daryl. My people. People who need me, and rely on me, just as much as they do."
"Kelley." Daryl said, and his tone changed to one that's calm and understanding. "Eugene. Is. Missing. We need your help to find him. What better way to get you guys back to Alexandria?"
"You seriously want us to go back there? After everything that's happened. After everyone that we lost?" I said, and Daryl didn't know what to say. "Even after what you saw I built here? What I made by myself."
"Kelley it's not just Eugene." Daryl said. "Rosita said that the walkers were talking. Talking." Daryl said, and my mouth dropped open. "To each other."
"To each other." I repeated. "That's impossible."
"Rosita isn't lying about this." Daryl said.
I just paused, and hearing Rosita's name reminded me of all my friends I've left back home. All the people I've been through hell and back with. All the people I just up and left, with no second thoughts.
"What happened?" I finally asked. "To Eugene."
"Him and Rosita when out together, got into some trouble with a herd. She blacked out, woke up to Eugene gone. Said he was taken." Daryl explained.
"How does she know this? She blacked out." I asked.
"She saw the tracks." Daryl told me.
"But she must've got a concussion. How was she lucid?" I said. "Just, are you sure about this. There was a herd. Eugene could just be dead."
Daryl just shook his head at me. "Then Rosita would be dead too. Listen, I'm telling you the truth. And I know you can help us Kelley. That's what you do... that's who you are."
I had a bad feeling about all of this. Not only would I be stepping into a dangerous spot by going back there, but I'd be putting the kids in something bad too. Something told me if I were to go back to Alexandria, something bad would happen. But then I looked at Daryl's face and the concern he was feeling. He was actually feeling this and believed it was the right thing to do. But my priority was the kids, so that's who I went to talk to. I left Daryl behind me as I walked back to the car and opened the backseat door.
"I have some news..." I said to them, and they waited for me to speak again. "Back at Alexandria, our friends got into some trouble. They need my help. Now, of course I want to help our friends, but my priority are you guys and keeping you safe, right."
"Right." Judith said.
"So what do you want to do?" I asked them, but was still honest with them. "Mommy has a bad feeling about this, but if it's what you want... then.." I said and trialed off.
"But you said to help our friends." Judith said. "You tell us we always need to help our friends, no matter what."
"That's right." I nodded at her. "Do whatever we can to protect them."
"But what about here?" Georgia asked. "Would we have to leave here?"
"Yes baby." I said. "We'd go back."
The kids were silent as they thought, and I peeked my head out the car to look at Daryl. He was standing in the middle of the road with his arms crossed, patiently waiting for my decision.
"We should help them." Lee said.
I looked back into the car and saw them all staring at me.
"I think they'd help us." Lee said. "I would want help."
And that was the final answer. Lee was right. If the group knew about my new home and we were in trouble here, I knew they would do anything to try and help us. Even if they didn't know us, the group would. Daryl was right too, in this instance. It's who we were. It's still who I am.
I then nodded my head at the kids, then closed the car door. I crossed my arms as I walked back to Daryl, and stood up straight in front of him.
"Okay listen. We'll go back to help. But I have one rule." I explained.
"Anything." Daryl said.
"After this thing with Eugene, whatever it may be... we come back here. No more Alexandria, or Hilltop, or Kingdom, but here at Westwood. Here at home..." I told him. "And I mean it, I swear I mean it." 
Daryl slowly uncrossed his arms and took a step forwards. "Kelley... after this, I want nothing but home. I want you and all of you, and the kids. I want this back." He said and now stood only inches away from me.
"Yeah?" I asked, and I felt my guard coming down, becusss this is all I've ever wanted to hear.
"Yes. This is our home now." Daryl said.
I couldn't do anything but nod, and Daryl opened his arms. I walked into his embrace and he hugged me tightly.
"We just got this one last mission to do. We can get through just one more." Daryl whispered in my ear. "I know it."
I just hid my face in the crook of his neck and nodded, and he rubbed my back. I felt him nod back and pull away from the hug.
"We better get back, tell your people what's going on." Daryl said.
"One more thing." I quickly said before Daryl walked away.
"Yeah Kelley?" He said.
I paused as I fidgeted with my fingers and bit my lip, then let out my breath I was holding in. "You still got that ring?" I asked.
Daryl couldn't help but smirk as he nodded. I just silently held out my hand and Daryl took it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out my ring, and slowly slid it back onto my finger while looking me in the eyes.
"And Daryl." I said as I moved my hand to caress his face.
"Yeah." He said one more time.
"Call me Kell." I said, and gently rubbed my thumb over his bottom lip.
"Yes Kell." He said, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. "I'm glad to have you back."
I just nodded and slightly leaned into Daryl's embrace. I tilted my head forwards and let the space between us linger. "I'm glad your back too."
Daryl then moved his hands to grab my face and he pulled me in for a kiss. I wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled him closer, and we shared this much needed kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was the evening now and I gathered everyone into our town hall for a meeting. Since I was leaving, I needed to tell everyone what was going on.
The last of my people walked inside the building and Hans closed the door. He then sat down next to his son and everyone waited for me to speak.
"So you may be wondering why I called you all here tonight. I know most of you want to be in bed by now." I said, and some people laughed at me in agreement. "But I have some news. News that can't wait until morning.... Because I will be leaving by then."
"What do you mean you're leaving?" Roman asked, and some others asked the same thing.
"I know this is a shock." I said over them, and waved my hand to calm them down. "Trust me, it was a shock to me too."
I then looked in the back of the room where Daryl, Judith, Georgia, and Lee were all sitting next to each other. That's when I saw my entire family, and the reason I was doing this for.
"A lot of you may not know, but I came from a large group before I made this place with you all. That group was my family... they still are. And they need my help. One of my friends has gone missing. I need to help them find him." I explained. "But once that is settled, I will be on my way back here. I will be coming back."
"Where are you going?" Montgomery asked.
"Virginia. D.C." I said. "I know it's far, but I have to go."
There was hushed chatter amongst the crowd, but I saw Daryl was the only one nodding at me. I just nodded back and then put my arms up in the air.
"You are all the strongest people I know, and I know that Westwood Crossing will be safe in your hands." I told everyone, and they got quiet again. "But with me gone, there needs to be someone who y'all follow still. Someone who needs to be in charge and take my place until I return." I said, and the men stared at me as I already made my decision. "Hans. You will lead these people as your own until I come back."
"I won't let you down Kelley. I won't let this town down." Hans said and held up his hand, and the people clapped at him.
"Then it's settled."

~~~~~~~~~~

It was the next morning and everything was packed away and ready in the car. The kids' bags were in the trunk and the raced each other to the backseat. Doc was opening the gates and I stopped to say one last goodbye to Hans.
"I will not let you down while you're away. I promise you." He told me and was very serious about it.
"Hans I know." I said and the took a pause. "You want to know why I want you in charge?" I then asked him.
"Yes." Hans said.
"You remind me the most of me." I then told him. "You got your son to take care of. So just like me, make the best decisions for your son, for these people, and trust me... you'll do alright." I said and pat his shoulder.
Hans then pulled me in for a hug and I couldn't help but smile at him.
"Oh come on, you'll be fine. I'm coming back." I said.
"I know. I'll just miss you." He said. "You're the first person in this new world to show me kindness. That's hard for me to let go."
"Then don't let go. Just wait." I said and pat his back before I pulled away.
I then grabbed my backpack and walked over to the car. I put my bag in the trunk where Daryl closed it behind me. We then sat down in the car and the kids buckled up.
"Everyone ready?" I asked them.
"Yes!" The kids said together.
I smiled and then looked over at Daryl. "Ready sweetie?"
Daryl nodded and put the car in drive. "Ready."