When the dead roam - (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 101 - A-positive

It wasn't until he was two miles out of the Sanctuary that Rick noticed. His eyes glanced over the rear view mirror – something he'd stopped doing since the start of the outbreak – and realised that there wasn't a second car behind him. Impatiently, he tapped on the steering wheel, his fingers drumming an inconsistent beat as his mind ran wild. He told himself over and over again that she was just further back, that she'd made it out and she'd meet them at their next point shortly after he'd arrived...but she never showed.

Daryl hadn't taken the news of her unknown whereabouts well. He'd lashed out at his friend, swinging and missing a punch as Rick went over detail after detail, recalling every event that had happened since that morning. In a fit of rage, the hunter had charged into the Saviors out post and taken out more of Negan's men than he ever had before. He slashed, kicked, punched and shot his way through. Blood soaked his arms when he'd returned back outside.

He paced back and forth, so much so that if he'd been tracking his steps, he'd have definitely surpassed any goal he'd set for himself. Anxiously, he ran his hands through his hair and grumbled.

Aaron sat on the side walk behind him, staring at the blood stains on his hands – the bright crimson, A-positive blood that belonged to his husband. The heartbreaking sobs that racked his entire body could be heard for miles. It had been a total of thirty minutes since he watched his dead partners body walk off into the forest and a further forty since the bullet had entered his stomach. Eric had died fighting...but he had died alone, propped up against a tree with a gun that he didn't turn on himself and Aaron, hated himself for it.

So, he stared at that blood...and he let himself feel that hatred, because it was better than feeing the loss.

Rick exited the building on the right side and moved towards them, a crying baby in his arms. "Any sign of her?"

"No, nothing" Daryl grumbled, still pacing. "Where the hell is she?"

"I don't know..." he sighed. "Look, I have a stop to make and you've got your bike, I need to find someone to take her back"

"She can go with me" Aaron said. He stood up and walked towards the sheriff. "I can, uh, take her to the Hilltop. She'll be safe there"

Rick closed the distance between them. "Aaron. You sure?"

"Eric and I were gonna go up. We were gonna go there after and update Maggie...so, that's what I'm gonna do" he nodded at Rick, tears in his eyes and his voice wavering slightly. "Please. I have to"

Carefully, Rick passed the small girl over to him. "Her names Gracie"

Aaron exhaled heavily, eyes locked onto hers. "Hey, Gracie"

Rick and Daryl nodded at each other, both knowing their next move before they took off to the left.

"Daryl?" Aaron called, continuing as the archer turned on his heel. "If you see her..."

"I'll tell 'er" he finished. "I'll tell 'er"

***

Charred hands clawed at her body. Decaying teeth tried to bare down on her flesh. Snarls filled her ears. She was surrounded. Every way she turned was blocked with 'walker' upon 'walker'. Their own bodies were pushed together, shoulders barging into shoulders as they all scrambled towards her. She wasn't entirely sure where her group was but they most definitely weren't with her anymore.

She could barely breathe. Desperately, her eyes scanned the crowd in search of a way out but there was nothing but bodies. Her back met the hard exterior of an empty office block with such force that the noise ricocheted of the bricks. Louise kicked out with her legs, using her back to balance on the wall and forcing a 'walker' away, giving her just enough time to yank open the door and fall inside the container. She swung it closed behind her, the impact snapping off the handle and sending it to with floor with a clatter. She didn't have time to worry about it. Her legs buckled underneath her and she collapsed in her heap, finally able to catch her breath.

"This can't get any fucking worse!" She grumbled, bringing her hands up to her face.

"Well...things are definitely looking up for me" A voice echoed. Louise couldn't see him in the pitch black interior but there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Negan had the biggest smirk on his face. The second the words left his lips, her blood began to boil.

"You've got to be kidding me"

The sound of jeans on dirt echoed as he moved closer to her, the small crack in the door lighting up the right side of his face. "Your plan backfired a little, huh?"

Louise cut her eyes at him. "No"

"That why you're stuck in here with me?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or why you smell like a bonfire?"

She ignored him and sat upright, leaning against the wall and bringing her knees up. She did in fact smell like smoke, like she'd been sat around a bonfire toasting marshmallows for the past two days and was in desperate need of a bath. The bow that once hugged her body was placed next to her, the empty gun she possessed lying right beside it - both absolutely useless in such a confined space. The room was bare aside from a small skylight in the ceiling, a tiny wooden children's chair and the deluded man that sat on top of it. Dust smothered the interior. It looked as if it had been untouched for years, though given it was on Savior ground, she wasn't sure why.

They had been stuck in there for hours before she even looked at him again. The sun had set and risen and her family had undoubtedly made it back, noticing instantly that she wasn't beside them...or at least, she hoped that had happened.

"C'mon, you're gonna be stuck with me for hours. May as well engaged in some friendly conversation" he taunted.

"I'm not interested in anything friendly when it comes to you" Louise spat. It didn't phase her to know that he had a full magazine clipped to his belt.

Negan laughed softly. "You really thing that low of me?" She didn't respond. "You know we're not that different, you and I"

Her eyebrows raised and she scoffed. "We're nothing alike. You're a murderer"

"So are you. Y'know, you people seem to forget that you killed my men first. What I did was self defense"

"You forced us to our knees and held us against our will!"

"You took out an entire outpost while they slept! There were families there" he argued.

"You stripped us of our weapons so we couldn't fight back. You killed a pregnant woman's husband right in front of her. You made sure the fight wasn't even because you know deep down that when it's a level playing field you're completely fucked. Look at you right now...you're a puppy licking his wounds"

Negan spent the entirety of her rant with one eyebrow raised and an amused smirk on his face. "So why don't you just kill me? Right now, one on one"

The thought had definitely crossed her mind. Hell, she'd dreamt about the moment she'd put a bullet between his eyes but she was effectively weaponless. So, with a huff she replied. "Because I'm not deluded enough to believe that I can take you on inside this stupid box"

"Smart girl"

"I've got an empty clip and you'd put a bullet in my head before I even had chance to lift my bow"

"You think I'd kill you?"

"You tellin' me you wouldn't?"

The two locked eyes and held it for an uncomfortable few minutes until Negan looked away.

"You ever thought about it?" He asked. "Putting a bullet in your brain? You could be with your little girl again"

"I'm not about to leave a world with you roaming around free"

"So what? After you finally kill me, you'll just end it? Just like that? What about your precious Daryl, huh? You gonna leave him like that?"

"My life isn't any concern on yours" she said.

"It is if I plan to kill you"

Now it was her turn to smirk. "You already said that you wouldn't hurt me"

"I didn't say that" he said, his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Your eyes did...I told you, you're a puppy licking his wounds"