ELEANOR . NEGAN

090.

Upon the forest floor, destruction of storms now long forgotten crushed and crunched under her hefty shoes. Driftwood and sticks trickled into patterns of nature's desire as each individual grass blade got picked up by the cold chill of wind.

Eleanor would smile if she could; the fuzzy feeling in her chest making her incapable of doing so.

She was so mad yet so sad and she was worried she was in the wrong. Maybe she was. No, I'm not. Eleanor lived her prime and now all she wanted was to relax. Live the closest she could to a white-picket fence life without things trying to kill her (or Negan) anytime they moved.

"Daryl!"

Her yell reverberated against damp wooden trunks and browning crunchy leaves that flew to the ground when hit the wrong way. There wasn't a response; there hasn't been for a long time.

"Dixon!"

She yelled again.

It's been a hour of her following gentle footprints in the mud. So careful to not make an indent but Elle was taught how to track by the best tracker out there — of course she could tell if someone was trying to cover it up. It only meant she was close.

Annoyed and finally now grasping for last resorts, Elle cupped her mouth to make her voice louder. "I'm pregnant!" She boomed across the forest; very awkward if anyone but Daryl heard that.

It must've worked though because there was a crunch behind her from a flattened leaf, followed with a screwed up face (a narrowed eye since Daryl was always so non-expressive) and a tight hold to his crossbow.

"Yur pregnant?"

Elle crossed her arms, "No, I'm not." Daryl grunted and kicked his foot into the ground, clearly someone wasn't a happy bunny. "We need to talk."

"Nah, we don't-"

Elle rolled her eyes and slotted her knife back between her belt. "What is the matter with you, Daryl?" Harsh but needed. "I'm trying to tell you why and you just fucked off!"

"Maybe I don't wanna hear it." He said spitefully, viscous undertone lacing his words. Eleanor didn't take it to heart though because his eyes were flickering from her eyes to his feet and the hold on his crossbow was weak.

Elle pinched the bridge of her nose and Daryl just stood there like a deer in headlights. He was waiting for her to blow, waiting for her signature shaky yell and then complete shit of harsh English and unrecognised Welsh.

It didn't come, funnily enough.

"I need to leave, Daryl." Eleanor whispered into the air, biting her lip to push the vulnerable look. "I'm not-" How the fuck do I say this? "I was with you guys from the start... and now so many things have happened and I'm- I'm not included." Maybe she was wrong, but it was how she felt. No one could tell her different. "Every single time I walk down a certain road, or past a blonde, I think I've killed one of our own and I don't want to deal with that anymore."

Margo. Daryl bit the corner of his mouth in deep regret or contemplation. "I'm not doing a runner... I'm just not- I can't stay there any longer." He scoffed, she rolled her eyes — children. "Stop being such a tit and just understand me! I can't stay, Daryl. Negan can't stay, we cannot stay! Every single time he talks, Maggie and Glenn look about an inch away from releasing a round into his head."

"So he goes and ya stay."

"I'm not leaving him." Elle said strongly, making sure her point was heard and clear. Daryl didn't care though, his face just looked like he was betrayed. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" So sassy. "Yur the one who's leaving everyone - not me!"

"Oh, give it up!" She finally snapped. "Stop acting like what I'm doing is this vicious illegal thing! News fucking flash, buddy, you did it first!"

Daryl lips fell agape and he stuttered for a moment, his glassy blue eyes jumping from his boots to his hands and then gingerly at her face. "Uh," He started to bite the skin around his thumb. "'s different."

"Dw i ddim yn gwybod." Elle said mostly to herself before looking up at Daryl. "It is different, you got that right, Sherlock! It's different 'cause people look at me and they think 'shit, we can't trust her anymore' and I'll tell you this, it fucking sucks."

"We trust ya."

"But they don't." The collective whole of Alexandria's public. "So I'm leaving, and I don't want my reason to be sour. I've told Maya, I've told Carol and now I've told you. I am not letting you ruin this for me, you got it?" He looked down at the ground. "I want to leave for something good... don't make it bad."

Daryl sighed. "I don't want ya to go."

Elle tutted, "I need to. And as much as I love you, I'm not listening." She ran a hand through her fallen hair. "Be mad, that's up to you, but nothing is changing my mind."

Daryl sighed, soemthing ragged and emotional. His lip was caught between his teeth and his blue eyes never stopped moving. "You goin' forever?"

Elle was relieved and shook her head, a gentle smile making its way on her features. It was better than the distasteful look she had before. "No, no. I'm just- we ain't staying in Alexandria."

She could see his brain working. "Alri'-" Alright?! "How am I gonna talk to ya?"

"You train a fucking pigeon and call it a day." Daryl wasn't impressed — boring. "Fine... we can meet up, if you want. Towards the border? Or I can make my tracks heavy so you'll find me easier."

"Yah," He scratched his scruff. "That's good."

"Yeah?"

He nodded, "Yeah, woman."

Eleanor soon sighed at his revelation and swung her head down, her breathing laboured as he stared at her with an annoyed squirm. "Thank fuck the awkward bit is over-"

"Ya dramatic bitch."

She let out a half-assed laugh and brought her middle finger up. "Cunt." Daryl laughed, and so did she, and soon the close friends were clutching onto each other with belly chuckles.

dudes

i csnt

do this

anymore

if my psych teacher gives me one more bit of homework i am LOSING it. i'm looking for a job AND moving house on sunday and doing homework on kohlberg and milgram i might cry

anyways i wanted to do another chapter but i might end it at this because i really want to get into the annie and commonwealth plot. PLUS i am so ready to write negan in commonwealth. he's so ughhhbb yk?

also chapter 90!!!! WHAT?!?! longest thing i've ever written and i think i started this idea at least in 2021? 2020? something like that

i'm just so scared to end this because i don't know how to end it...