RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

compromise

RICK WAS GONE most of the day, returning later in the evening with far more guns and ammo than they had expected them to find. Rick had shared with the group that they had ran into the man he met when he first woke up in this new world, Morgan. He had been holed up by himself, a large amount of guns, ammo, and other supplies piling up that he allowed Rick to take, though he had mentioned he wasn't in a proper state of mind. Rick offered him to come back to the prison, but he had declined almost immediately. Rick also shared that Carl and Michonne were able to get supplies for the baby from a nearby store, bringing back two real cribs, one for Sienna and the other for Judith. 

The group had to break the news to Rick about a surprise visit from Andrea again. She had a brief visit with them while Rick had been gone. Willow and Daryl listened to everything she had to say, supposedly that the Governor wanted to meet with Rick and discuss a compromise, but they both shared the same gut feeling that it wasn't going to be anything close to a compromise. Rick thought about it for a while once they told him, and thanks to Hershel and Carl's persuasion, he decided to meet with the Governor. Andrea had mentioned a warehouse positioned halfway between their two settlements that she thought would be good for them to meet at, and Rick agreed to head out before noon the next day with Daryl and Hershel to tag along in case shit went south. Willow wasn't completely comfortable with it still and she wished she could've gone too, but Rick shut down her offer instantly because of her leg. 

She laid awake most of the night following up to the day Rick would be meeting with the Governor. She rested on her side, staring ahead at the wall across from the bed, too scared to look at Daryl. She knew if she did, she would've had him up all night too, begging him not to go.

Needless to say, she was up before anyone, being greeted with Sienna's smiling face peeking over her crib, her small feet planted firmly on the bed of it. Michonne had also picked up some new clothing for the little ones on their hands as well as some hair ties for the women in the group. Willow hardly had her hair up anymore, so she used the pink elastic band around her wrist to tie Sienna's hair up into a tiny bun at the top of her head, little wisps of hair sticking out on the side of her head that were too short to be pulled into the bun. The pink of the elastic matched the new pajamas she wore almost perfectly, making her look even cuter.

Willow cringed as Sienna began to bounce around on her feet, her hands waving and slapping the sides of the crib. She picked her up quickly, glancing behind her at Daryl on the bunk. He still remained motionless on his back, his arm covering his eyes while the other rested behind his head. She set Sienna down gently on the table next to the bed to allow herself the hands to change into her own clothes, peeling off the sweaty t-shirt and shorts she had been wearing and changing into a thin tank top and a pair of slim jeans, pulling them carefully over the bandage wrapped around her leg. She used her hand to steady herself as she slipped on her boots, noticing the wear and tear along the sides of them. A few more strenuous wears and they'll be destroyed. Finally, she grabbed the Bowie knife from her bag and slid it into her boot, grabbing her handgun and sliding it in the waistband of her pants.

She carried Sienna outside, closing the metal door quietly. The sun was barely up and she could see dew sparkling on the grass ahead of her in the field. She sat on the steps to the entrance of the prison, watching the remaining walkers drone around in the field aimlessly, not taking notice of her and her daughter. She stood her up on her feet at the bottom step, watching her wobble for a moment before steadying out and supporting herself. Willow stretched her legs out on either side of Sienna, leaning back into the step behind her. Goosebumps raised on her skin as the sun was still waking up, leaving her in a small amount of shade. 

"Hey."

She nearly knocked Sienna over from jumping. "Jesus." Her hand rested on her chest, feeling her heart beat rapidly. She looked over her shoulder at Daryl. "You scared the hell out of me."