Unexpected Love | Daryl Dixon Fanfic

Chapter 41 - A Life For A Life

We drove back home without another word spoken between the four of us. As soon as we got back, Rick headed straight into the prison, expecting us all to follow, but I held back as I already knew the outcome of his talk.

He wouldn't have been so reluctant to speak to us beforehand if it was good news, so it looked like we were going to war and this whole experience was about as useful as a handbrake on a canoe...

Everybody else ran after him and seemed so eager to hear the obvious, so to save myself the trouble, I stayed outside and kept watch with my boys. Zeus and Hades sat down next to me as I balanced my rifle on one of the pallets, their sharp senses alert and ready.

The minutes quickly turned into an hour as the tension in the air grew thicker, and I knew that the calm before the storm had finally reared its ugly head. My gaze scanned over the horizon, searching for any signs of danger that could creep up on us any moment, but got slightly distracted when I heard footsteps behind me.

The first person to emerge from the belly of the building was, in no surprise, Daryl. His forever rugged appearance and crossbow slung over his shoulder were a testament to his readiness for whatever lay ahead.

I glanced in his direction and smiled as he approached, stopping to stand over us and stare out into the distance. "War?" I simply asked, and he hummed in agreement, confirming what I had already known from the beginning.

"We knew it wa' coming," he continued, his gaze never wavering from the horizon. "They ain't gonna stop 'til they try to take everything from us. But we ain't gonna let 'em, right?"

He held out his hand and helped me up off the ground, his touch light and soft as he pulled me to my feet. I brushed off my jeans and noticed he'd turned his attention to me, obviously expecting me to say something constructive.

"We've been through enough and lost too much. I'll die before he touches our family." I declared, my voice firm and hopefully conveying the determination that I felt towards it. He started to grin and I scowled, wondering why he was so happy about my inevitable demise.

"I ain't never heard ya call us that before." He said with a playful smirk, his eyes twinkling with amusement. I rolled my eyes, refusing to succumb to his teasing and replied "Yeah, well family sounded better than village idiots."

He scoffed just as my brother and Hershel emerged outside, looking incredibly serious and like they were about to come and ruin our lightened moods. I sighed and visually deflated, getting myself ready for what they were about to say.

"The group's taking it as well as can be expected," Hershel started, looking over us all to try and grasp our thoughts on the matter. "Merle and Michonne are convinced we should hit first. Carol and I think we should take our chances on the road. We're in this together so if we stay and fight, so be it."

"He gave me a choice..." My brother blurted, catching us all off guard. "A way out..." I didn't expect the governor to pull a fast one like this, and according to Ricks silence on the subject so far, it wasn't hard to put two and two together and figure out it wasn't something acceptable.

"And what exactly does he want?" I asked, my voice laced with skepticism and concern. I knew the governor was a cunning and manipulative piece of shit, seeking his own gain at the expense of others, so I had a horrible feeling that his terms were going to be completely absurd.

"Michonne." He replied bluntly, his features hardening as if the choice was simple and already made up in his mind. The revelation sent a shockwave through the air, causing a collective gasp to escape from all of us.

"Nah-uh. No way. You can't seriously be considering this?" I exclaimed, my anger evidently showing through. Daryl stepped towards him and looked about as horrified as I was, saying "He'll kill 'er, then kill us all anyway!"