What's Next

Chapter Forty 🦋

Val's POV:

Rick's voice kept coming through, trying to connect to Tobin. I heard the sound of what sounded like an air horn blaring in the distance. "do you hear that?" I questioned, worry written in my voice and I knew Daryl could tell. "Yeah I do sunshine." He muttered, worry just as clear in his voice as it was in mine. "Try and get through to Rick baby. Maybe he'll give us an answer." I suggested. Daryl didn't fight it. He grabbed the walkie and held down the buttons to speak in it. "Rick?" at first there was no answer.

"Rick!" Daryl called again.

"I'm here." The sound of my brother's voice rang through. "What's going on back there?"

"Half of them broke off. They're going toward Alexandria."

"Towards you?" I hear Abraham question.

"We ran ahead. There's a horn or something. Loud, coming from the east. It's not stopping." That explained the faint blaring that I could hear. 'shit' I thought to myself. Everyone we love is there. The entire community we're doing this for is there. "Fuck Dare, we should circle back." I muttered. Daryl nodded, agreeing with me immediately. "I'm gonna gas it up, turn back." Daryl spoke into the walkie. I held onto him even tighter than I already was. Honestly surprised I wasn't hurting him with how tight I held onto him. "We have it. You keep going." Rick replied.

"They're gonna need our help." Daryl argued back.

"Gotta keep the herd moving."

"Not if it's going down, we don't."

"The rest of that herd turns around, the bad back there gets worse." Daryl went quiet, contemplating what my brother was telling us. "Daryl?" I hear Rick question in panic. "Yeah we heard you Rick." I answered for Daryl.

"Be safe big brother." I muttered into the walkie, no longer hearing Rick's side now. I just shook my head, I knew Daryl wouldn't be able to just continue on without knowing the state of Alexandria. He knew I couldn't either. He stayed silent for a bit. I could tell he was thinking about it.

♢♢

"Baby what is it?" I questioned, softly. Not being able to handle his silence any longer. "We have to turn back sunshine. We need to help."

"Dare we are helping. You heard Rick he doesn't want us turning back."

"But..."

"No buts Dare, we gotta finish what we already started. You do have the final say though. I'm with you no matter what, you hear me?"

"Yeah sunshine I hear ye."

He went quiet again. I knew he was debating it. He drove close to the car, revving to get Sasha and Abraham's attention. "Hey, we gone five miles out yet?" He asked.

"Give or take some yardage." Abraham stated.

"you got a reason for asking?"

"Next intersection we're gonna spin around and go back." Daryl stated.

"The plan is to go 15 more." Sasha states, confusion in her tone. I already knew Daryl was planning this. Nothing anyone said would change his mind. "Yeah I'm gonna change that. Five's gonna have to work."

"the magic number's 20. That's the mission. That's making sure they're off munching on infirm raccoons the rest of their undead lives. Instead of any of us. Or your unborn baby." Abraham fought back.

"You want to go, we can't stop you. But without you, they could stop us." Sasha adds.

"She's right Dare." I muttered in his ear. He went quiet again. Contemplating everything. I followed where he was looking. Spotting the sign amongst the trees for Alexandria that would have been put there before the world went to shit. "Nah, I got faith in ya." Daryl states, before we drove away from them to back the turn back for Alexandria.

♢♢

We were on our way back, haven't heard from anybody yet. I couldn't lie, I was really beginning to second guess Daryl's decision to head back. I knew that they might need our help, but we still had some of our strongest members back in Alexandria who I knew would die protecting the place. I was worried about Carl and Judith. If they were safe or not. Vanessa, Ellie, and Levi. I just got those three back and I may have lost them already. "Daryl? Val?" I hear come through the radio. Rick. Oh god Rick. He's okay. "We're here." Daryl answered.

"Won't be long now." Rick stated.

"They're almost here."

"I'll get them going your way again."

"How 'bout that Daryl? He's going to be coming our way." Sasha says, sarcasm written clear in her voice. "There's gunfire coming from back home." Rick states, clearly being able to hear it. "We gotta sit with it and hope they can handle it."

"I think they can. They have to."

"we keep going forward for them. Can't turn back cause we're afraid." I just sighed as I listen to everything my brother was telling us. He had a point and yet here was Daryl and I heading back cause we're afraid. I could sense that Daryl was really taking in everything that was being said. "we're not afraid." Abraham stated.

"This is for them."

"Going back now before its done, that'd be for us."

"The herd has to be almost here." Rick continues on, after taking a brief moment of silence. it went quiet again. Waiting for him to speak.

The sound of gunfire came over the walkie. I grabbed the walkie instantly. "Rick?" I questioned, beginning to worry. I got no response. "Rick?" I asked again. Still with no response. "Rick!" I yelled, growing worried for my brother's safety. "Fuck!" I cried out, when no response came through. Daryl pushed on further, speeding up. He too began to grow worried.

♢♢

we stopped on the side of the road. "Rick?" Daryl questioned, hoping he could try and get a response. Nothing.

"Rick?" He tried again.

"Rick? Rick?" he tried once more, still receiving no response from my older brother. "Baby he's not answering." I spoke panicked, my voice breaking. Tears starting to roll down my cheeks as I worried for Rick's safety. "sunshine, he'll be okay. He has to be okay." He muttered, trying to reassure me. I wasn't sure if I could accept it or not. "We need to turn around Dare. It's what we're supposed to be doing. Not heading home. We need to get back to Sasha and Abraham. It's what Rick wanted in the first place." He nodded his head. Turning us around, heading back the way we just came.

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