ꜰᴏᴏʟ'ꜱ ᴍᴀᴛᴇ || ᴛᴡᴅ

103: ʙʟᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ ʀᴏᴀᴅꜱ

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Danny and Rachel were both pissed off. 

They knew the horde was coming. Yumiko and Danny ordered people around and called a meeting to work out what to do next, only for people to be stupid.

"The skins could march straight to Alexandria for all we know." Earl was convinced they should stay, sitting on the couch in the office.

"Yeah, we're right in their way." Daryl said.

"Maybe she goes around us."

"There's no reason to." Rachel said, sitting on the desk. "She could wipe us out without batting an eye. We need to go."

"I'm not running again." Jerry said from the other side of the room. "Hell no."

"Rachel's right," Dianne said. "We can rebuild anywhere."

"We can't." Earl scoffed. "How many scouting missions have we all been on, thousands? Have you ever seen a place like Hilltop?"

"We'll make do." Danny sighed, and Rachel translated. "We need to stay alive, what's the point in just staying to die? We hardly have any fighters. We don't die today."

"We're going to have to fight." Earl insisted. "And if we die, we're going to die for a place that means something. Can you think of a better way to go?"

"I'm not putting the kids and our friends lives on a belief no one will remember." Danny signed. "We do as Sami did at the prison. You want to stay and fight, stay and fight. You want to leave, leave."

"He's right." Daryl spoke before Rachel could even translate, and signed as he spoke. "We get the kids and whoever out first. Everyone pack up. We're heading to Oceanside. Grab weapons, food, whatever you can. We regroup there."

Danny helped get all the kids in and sorted, and wondered where Sami was, until he walked out of the main building with RJ on his shoulders, Judith clinging onto his leg as he walked, trying not to fall off. Rachel smiled lightly when she saw them, but Danny wondered what the hell they were doing. Then he remembered Rick with Judith before he died. He used to do stuff like that. Maybe it was a Dad thing.

But when he reached the carriage the children were loading into, Judith smile fell.

"Sami, I want to fight."

He looked at her as he got RJ into the carriage, and thought for a moment, unsure of how to answer. "I know. But we have to be safe. We're always safe, remember?"

"But Danny says you didn't used to be safe. During the war with the Saviors. Are you going to do that again?"

"I'll stay safe, promise." He crouched in front of her. "But it's easier for me if I know you're safe. And, I know you'll look after your brother. So, you good?"

She nodded. "But I still want to fight."

"I know."

As Judith climbed in Daryl walked over, hand over his eyes to block the sun as he looked at Sami.

"You're alive." Sami squinted at him. "Things go well?"

"Nah. Where you been?" Daryl stopped in front of him.

"A-round, you know." He tried really hard not to look up at the house, where Rosita was talking with someone. "I just got caught up with something. Danny leaves a room - And feel stupid for it now, with that look your givin' me."

Daryl looked at him and pat his shoulder. "Yeah. You've always been stupid."

"Do I need to remind you of 'yeah, you gusta n' shit'?"

Daryl tilted his head. "What the fuck are you talkin' about?"

He flicked his hand. "I'll tell you if we survive."

Daryl's eyes fell on someone behind Sami, who turned to see Carol walking through the gates, dirty and with a large gash on her head.

"She flip out again?" Sami crossed his arms as he turned to Daryl.

He shut the flap on the back of the carriage, stepping behind it as Carol's eyes fell on him. "Blew up a cave. Two . . . "

He didn't have to finish. Two people didn't make it. Sami felt his stomach drop, and looking around Hilltop to see who he couldn't spot, feeling even stupider for being with Rosita. He saw Kelly sitting on her own, a furious look on her face. Connie.

"Magna, too." Daryl said plainly, but his face looked shattered. Rachel, who was walking over with Danny, both leading horses, had a similar look. "She had no good reason to. But they might've . . . "

"Yeah. We'll look after." Sami sighed. "I'm . . . I'm gonna try get back in the game, you know? I've been playing housewife for a while, but I'm gonna try. Just leave me if I freeze up with the skins, though."

Daryl shook his head. "I'll keep an eye on you."

Sami felt something swell in his chest, along with the anxiety. He didn't want to be a burden, but knowing Daryl was looking out for him made him feel a hell of a lot safer. Made him feel younger, too. God, it was strange to think of how much had changed since Rick was here.

"Rosita wants to . . . get rings." He heard himself saying. He wasn't sure why. 

"You gettin' hitched now?"

"Yeah. Don't forget to paint 'just married' on the back of the carriages."

Daryl chuckled, tying a bandage on his hand. "Nah, good for you, man. You deserve it. After everything."

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The smell of the mask was normal, now. 

Grace crouched in the weeds, watching. Though they had some young members in the Whisperers, she was still the smallest, so at least drugs gave her scout duty. She liked it much more than being with other skins.

The carriages, as predicted, came upon the fallen trees she and a few others had put over the road about an hour after they were cut down. 

Daryl came over, first, on his bike, followed by carriages. Lydia was on one of them. Some woman with her. Surprisingly, Grace found herself looking for a glimpse of Danny or Sami. She'd heard Beta talking about him the night before. 

'The one from the barn was there.' Beta grunted as he spoke to Alpha. Almost every word from his mouth was a grunt. 'Shouldn't be bothering us anymore.'

'He served his purpose.' Alpha had answered. 'Told the story.'

'Would've probably been a nice addition to the pack, though, know what I'm sayin'?" Negan walked up to them, grinning. 'Sami? Mean fucking bite that guys got, even meaner ass-'

'Quiet. He may be dead. But it matters not."

Grace had had a feel horrible feeling since. She couldn't remember last time she had a proper conversation with him. Maybe it was at the bus stop, all those years ago.

But there was no Sami or Danny.  

"All the roads are gonna be like this, now." Daryl said, not spotting her laying on her stomach in the woods. "We ain't getting through. It's Negan and Grace. They're with her, now."