RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

kent island

9 months later.

WILLOW RIPPED HER SWORD from the walkers head with a sharp inhale that burned and seared her lungs. The body dropped, and she nearly did too. She bent over and rested her hands on her knees while she caught her breath.

"I've never been so out of shape." She gasped out while her chest heaved.

Bonnie surveyed the rest of the perimeter around them, waiting for more walkers to come, but to all of their surprise, there were no more. "You're makin' me think it's a blessing that I couldn't have kids."

Sienna and Sibby both made the same face, an indicator that they both took full offense to her words.

Willow shook her head and slowly stood back upright, putting her sword away on her back and gesturing to Daryl beside an old, red minivan with the map. "How much further?"

Smoke seeped through his slightly parted lips from where he let a cigarette dangle from his mouth as his eyes slowly glanced over the map. With a small shrug, he responded, "20 miles at least."

Willow's face scrunched up as she put her hands on her hips and let her head dangle back, still fighting to catch her breath. "We should've just taken the canoes from Rachel."

"Nah." Daryl shook his head and stuck the map in his back pocket. "You and water don't mix well."

Bonnie shrugged off her backpack and took out her canteen of water, handing it over to Willow. "Route 50 is our best bet right now. Aaron and Gabriel cleared it as much as they could for us."

Willow gladly took the canteen and pressed it to her lips, taking a few sips of the lukewarm water within it. She raised a brow on her last swallow as she took notice of all the eyes on her- or the canteen, rather. She handed it over to Sibby that took a few large gulps who then handed it to Sienna that waterfalled it into her mouth for a few seconds, then over to Daryl that guzzled the rest of it. 

Bonnie took it back after he was finished with it and turned it upside down, watching a few drops of water trickle out and soak into the pavement beneath them. "Well, that's one down."

"I've still got mine, and Sienna's got a small bottle. We're gonna have to make it last." Willow stepped around the van and off the road into the thick trees where they tied up their horses when the small herd of walkers came through. She handed two of the leads to Bonnie and Daryl, mounting her own horse and watching as Bonnie helped Sibby onto theirs. A small smile flickered across her face as she glanced to Sienna trying to hoist herself up onto Daryl's horse, but continued to fail and stumble back onto the ground. 

Daryl's back shook as he stifled back a laugh. He took a final drag of his cigarette and tossed it aside, blowing the smoke out as he grabbed Sienna and lifted her onto their horse. 

"I could've done it." Sienna huffed as she scooted back on the horse, letting Daryl get on and take control of it.

Daryl shook his head and gave the horse a nudge in the side with his boot. "Not with those short little legs of yours."

Sienna huffed again, but had a playful grin on her face. It was one that Willow had been seeing a lot of lately. She's seen first hand how their relationship has been flourishing, and she couldn't think of anything more perfect than that.

She had been worried throughout her whole pregnancy that once Sienna's brother was born, she'd feel less special- that Daryl and hers only concern would be him. She locked that thought up in the darkest corner of her mind and ensured that Sienna would never feel that way. Even Daryl had made a silent promise to himself that she'd still be just as special as she always has been to him.