He's With Me (Daryl Dixon Fanfiction)

Chapter 26

"A perimeter has been set up a few miles from the wall, it's for this group. Unfortunately we don't know much about them, even though they had taken me." Rick announced in the meeting hall. "I'm not trying to cause panic, because I feel it's something everyone should know and be prepared for." Rick crossed his arms waiting for the explosion.

I bounced Rue in my arms, hoping to keep her sleeping through what was about to be chaos.

"Should we fortify our walls or houses?" Someone asked from somewhere in the room.

"We'll fortify the walls and the gate, and I would just suggest something for your windows and doors." Rick spoke briefly.

"Guns?" Aaron asked.

"Eugene and his people have been working non-stop to make bullets, we should be prepared." Rick nodded.

"What about shifts, is that gonna change?" Someone else asked.

"For now we are splitting up those that do perimeter on the wall, to do the surrounding perimeter." Rick said coolly.

"This is going better than I thought." I whispered to Daryl.

"Just wait for it." He said back quietly.

"So wait." A man stood up. "There is an impending threat out there and your telling us to stay calm. They could be here at any moment but you want us to just hunker down?" The man spoke angrily.

"I understand it's confusing." Rick spoke calmly. "But this is about trust now, if you feel safer going to Hilltop, or any other of our surrounding communities you are more than welcome and I will not force you to stay." Rick nodded his head. "But just know we need you." He said lastly.

There was soft muttering around the room, before everyone seemed settled on what they were doing. Rick dismissed everyone, and he, Carl, and Michonne lingered in the meeting hall. Daryl, Negan, and I did too, kind of nervous to see if everyone was about to leave.

"Good job up there." I patted Rick's arm. "What do you think everyone is going to do?" I really wanted to pick his brain on this one.

"I don't know, they all seemed determined, like maybe they would stay and help defend this place, but there were a few that looked terrified." Rick confessed.

"Well I mean so are we, but that's why we're staying for now." I said.

"And I'm grateful." Rick smiled at me gently, looking down at Rue who was sleeping soundly. "I hope this place is still here when she's grown up."

"Of course it will be, it's a staple now." Daryl said confidently.

"Even if it's not, it'll always be a part of our history." Rick said simply. After brief chit chat we parted ways doing our daily duties.

I spent my day mending and patching clothes, something that has quickly become a specialty for me, considering Scout and Daryl tear through all of their clothes everyday. I folded and tossed the mended clothes into a box, I put Rue in her stroller, and we went off to the market. They had a small marketplace in Alexandria, crops and other tradable goods were set up in the square. I took my box of repaired clothes over to the laundry booth, where people had brought their clothes to be repaired or repurposed.

The woman that worked this booth, Angie, was falling behind and needed the extra hand, Michonne volunteered me. I was happy to help after the help Alexandria had given us.

"Oh hello Hazel, you got all of it done already?" Angie looked at me astounded.

"I sure did, I hope they hold up." I smiled at her passing the box to her.