Healing Broken Wings [Daryl Dixon] The Walking Dead

Sixty Nine| Granting Asylum

🌱Kristina🌱

I stand in the crowd, looking up at Ezekiel on the Post Theater balcony, holding Andrea in my arms. Shawn is on Kal's shoulders. He's been helping me out since Kara left with Daryl. She didn't even tell me she was leaving and Connie apparently went with them. It's been a nightmare.

I know she can take care of herself, but that'll never stop me from worrying about her. "I stand before you today at the start of a new tomorrow. A tomorrow made possible by the sacrifices of many over the years. Among them, a man whose mission was to build community and strengthen the bonds between us. A man who had to destroy the very thing that connected us in order to save us."

I miss that man every single day. It's hard not being able to talk to him. Ask for advice. I miss him very much. "It took us far too long to fulfill the promise of what Rick Grimes and his son Carl envisioned." I look over at the back of Siddiq's head. The one Carl brought to Alexandria.

Siddiq's been a great addition to our family. Carl made that happen. "The same promise Paul Rovia, better known as Jesus, believed in when he brought us all together those many years ago. We've always been bound to each other. We will always be. We fought our way back to each other. We have grown. The crossing over the river may be gone. But we have rebuilt a bridge, nonetheless."

I clap along with the rest of the gathered communities, smiling up at the king. "Whoo!" Shawn calls and Kal chuckles. I remember when I first brought Shawn here all that time ago. He was so small back then.

"Today is proof that we can unite, not against a common enemy, but for the common good. So eat, drink, trade, and be merry… cause we got a lotta time to make up for." Jerry leaves the crowd and steps up to address us. "Let the First Annual Inter-Community Reunification Fair begin!"

We start clapping only to let it die down when King Ezekiel calls down to him. "Jerry. We changed that." I smile in amusement as he looks up at the balcony. "For reals? F.A.I.R. Fair?"

"It's too many… never mind." Laughter ripples through the crowd at their exchange before Ezekiel continues. "Let The Fair of New Beginning begin!" Jerry's son rushed over and opens the cage, releasing dove's into the sky as applause ring out. I clap as well as I watch the birds fly, pointing them out to Andrea who smiles.

"Stay close to Kal, kids. Alright?" I tell them when the speech is over and they nod. "Yes, Mom," they say together and Kal smiles. "I'll keep a close eye on them."

"Thanks, Kal." He nods and I leave the crowd, heading over to Carol who's leaving with Luke, Yumiko, Magna, and Kelly to search for Connie, Daryl, Kara, and Henry. "Be safe," I say and wrap my arms around her. "I will." She returns the embrace before we pull away.

Carol looks at something behind me and I turn to see King Ezekiel coming over. "Hey. You sounded good up there."

"I should be going with you. It's my duty to go with you. I'm his father."

"Yeah, you're also the king. It's bad enough I'm leaving. If you go, too, everybody's gonna want to know why."

"Carol's right, Ezekiel." He glances over at me before looking back to Carol. "We put months of work into this fair. The Kingdom needs you here."

"Are we going or what?" Kelly asks coming over and we turn to look at her. "Open the gate!" I hear them call, but it's probably just some stragglers from Alexandria or Oceanside. "My sister's out there somewhere."

"No, she's not," Magna says and I look at her, confused, until she nods to the gate. I turn and feel weight lift off my chest as I sigh in relief. Dog comes racing inside with Daryl walking alongside the carriage with Michonne driving. I can't believe she's here. Kelly races over to envelop her sister and I look for Kara.