ORDER (sequel to Trouble) [TWD]

hostage

"Na, wanna back us up?" Abraham asks.

Nanami smiles and he and Abraham fist bump, "Hells yeah."

Sasha laughs, patting his shoulder. From the side, Sakiko stares, head tilting as she puts the pieces together.

"Hey, babes," Rosita sighs, stepping beside her, "Are you going with your old man?"

"Nah, I'm with you," Sakiko says, ignoring the trio.

Abraham was with Sasha? The other woman was one of their own? Somehow, that made things worse. Way worse.

"Not much longer til we start," Rosita exhales a puff of air that Sakiko could see in the cooling air.

"Things go south, I'm supposed to head out and tell everyone on the outside. Carol and Maggie will be up there," Sakiko points to the woods, "Jesus, Tara, Hilltop dude, and Gabe over there."

"I'll stay and fight if things go south. You just get out and be safe if it comes down to it, alright?"

"Yes ma'am."

--

"You ain't gotta do this," Daryl whispers, eyes watching as the plan begins and Andy walks to the Saviors' compound door.

"You've said that like twenty times," Nanami scoffs.

"And it's been true every single time. I know you don't like this. You don't gotta stay. You can head back with Tara."

"I'm fine," Nanami insists, ducking further into the shadows as two Saviors walk outside, "You need all hands on deck."

"We can be down on if it's too much for-"

"Kiko is already freaking out that she won't be able to help. Now, everyone is looking at me because I have some PTSD from eye patch douchebag. We're bringing things down. I got this, dad."

Daryl sighs, keeping an eye on both Nanami and Sakiko the most he could.

Sure they weren't kids anymore- they were in their twenties. Last time he tried to do the math, he figured that they were coming up on their twenty-second birthday, in fact.

But, as Hershel had told him before, once you're a father, you're always a father. It was hard to see Nanami and Sakiko as grown ups. They were his kids deep down. They would always be his kids. A huge part of him would always do everything in his power to keep them safe and protect them like he used to. It's what it meant to be a parent.

No matter how old and strong they got.. No matter who they fell in love with, married, or moved in with.. No matter the things they did.. No matter the things they said.. They were his kids. His fucking kids.

The ones that asked him questions about life that he didn't really have answers for. The ones he feared for- when they went to school in the snow, when they tripped on the road, when they didn't eat dinner, when they came face to face with a walker. Everything in between.

"Move in," Rick orders.

Daryl Dixon had to protect his kids. No matter what from and what it took.

--

"Fuck, fuck," Sakiko huffs and puffs.

"What the hell happened?" Maggie asks her, helping her up the hill.

"Some dude.. Hit an alarm. Things went south. It's a.. fuck," she pants.

She bends over, hands on her knees to catch her breath. Maggie rubs her back, unsure if it was her attacks or the speed to get up to where they were hiding.