RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

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SHE SLEPT THE REST OF THE DAY, all night, and partially through the next morning. She could've kept going, but her anxiousness stopped her. 

She took Hayes on a brisk walk around the community after breakfast, and quietly watched as the council called each member of their community in for interrogation. Some would be in there for a few seconds, and others would be in there for a couple minutes. Negan took the longest, to no one's surprise, and he was questioned twice.

She was waiting outside the doors to the dining hall, and watched as Negan was dismissed again back to work. 

She rocked Hayes in her arms as she stepped inside and kicked the doors shut behind her. "So?"

The council remained sitting in their seats and Daryl stood at the end of the table, both hands curled around the edge of it. 

Aaron let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair. "Are you sure you were locked in there?"

She stood dumbfounded for a moment. "You're joking, right?"

"We've talked to everyone- no one saw anything."

She took a large step up to the table, glaring down at all of them. "I wouldn't willingly put myself in there for as long as I was. Someone got me in there, and locked the damn door."

Siddiq tapped his fingers on the table. "It could've been an accident- someone didn't know you were in there."

She could hardly believe the words she was hearing. She scoffed and stepped away before she could kick the damn table over.

"It wasn't no accident." Daryl finally spoke up with his own frustration. 

"Thank you!" Willow piped up.

"Look, there was a lot going on that day- with the hordes and the meeting at the border. Everyone was on edge and tired, and it was easily missed. We're gonna keep talking to everyone and we're gonna keep watching for anything that could signal that someone did this." Michonne reasoned. 

Willow's jaw was clenched, but she still nodded and trusted her words. Taking a seat at one of the other tables, she laid out the small blanket she had been carrying and laid Hayes on top of it, watching him squirm and look around the room. "What happened at the border?"

Daryl stood upright and lit up a cigarette from his pocket, cracking open one of the windows to let the smoke out. "She knew about other times we crossed the border. She's takin' more land, cuttin' off our huntin' grounds."

The doors to the building opened, and Sibby, Sienna, and Bonnie all filed in.

"Good mornin'." Bonnie took a seat across from Willow, but she was a bit hesitant.

Sibby and Sienna crowded around, playing with Hayes in awe.

Aaron cleared his throat and stood up. "I'm running some training groups in a bit, and I'm letting Gracie get some practice in. Would the girls be okay to join?"

Bonnie nodded, and Daryl looked to Willow.

"Yeah, that'll be good." She answered. 

"Great." Aaron rounded the table and ushered the girls out the door, and the rest of them followed suit except for Daryl and Bonnie.

Bonnie leaned closer into the table, fidgeting with her fingers. "Listen, Willow, I'm real sorry about how we've been lately. We've been actin' like jackasses."

"Yeah, you have." She agreed.

Bonnie's eyes grew weary and Daryl took slow steps towards them.

"But, I guess I understand." Her words earned a sigh of relief from Bonnie, and she could practically see the tension leave Daryl. "Like Michonne said, we're all on edge, and we're all trying to do the right thing."