Too Far Gone // D. Dixon

chapter forty-two

Maren carefully examined Daryl, running her hands gently over his body to check for any injuries.

He watched her quietly as she took care of him, taking in her appearance. He noticed she had dark circles under her eyes and just looked drained.

"I meant what I said," Daryl assured her, "I ain't hurt." Relieved, Maren nodded and quickly set about getting him some real food, not just the scraps Dwight had been providing. She hated that she hadn't gotten him out of there sooner.

As Maren prepared a plate, Daryl fixed her with a discerning gaze, "Did you know?" he asked.

Maren paused, looking at him in confusion. "Know what?" Daryl hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"Did ya know the whole time that Negan was your dad?"

Maren felt her breath catch in her throat. She slowly lowered the plate of food, gulping hard, "I wasn't sure..." she admitted, "I knew there was a chance, but I couldn't know for sure. Not until the lineup."

Daryl's eyes stayed locked on her, and Maren could see the anger simmering there. "Why didn't ya tell me? If ya thought there was any chance-"

"Daryl, I didn't know for sure," Maren cut him off, "He's not the only man named Negan in existence, you know. I wouldn't lie to you."

Daryl nodded slowly, his expression softening slightly, "Just...can ya promise me that you're tellin' me everythin' right now?" Without hesitation, Maren reached out and gently cupped Daryl's face.

"Yes, Daryl. That's the truth," she said, her voice sincere, "I promise you." The pair gazed at each other for a long moment, all the unspoken feelings between them palpable. Then, as if drawn by an invisible force, their lips met in a tender and desperate kiss - a fleeting reprieve from the chaos surrounding them. Their intimate moment was disappointingly shattered by the sound of the door bursting open.

"Maren, you have got to listen when I tell you-" Negan's voice boomed as he charged into the room. He stopped short, his eyes widening at the sight before him, "Well fuck me running..." Negan's expression shifted, his features hardening as he slipped back into his authoritative persona.

"I don't have to do shit." Maren growled, not having to look at him to know what he was thinking. Maren's tone was stern as she stood to face him. Daryl shot her a warning look, knowing better than to provoke the volatile leader.

"I know you've been through some shit...I know that now," Negan said, his voice laced with frustration, "But you abso-fucking-lutely cannot just go around and do whatever the hell you want around here! That is not how this is going to work, Maren. Now, we can do this the easy way-"

"Can you stop pretending to be a goddamn dictator for one minute and just be my dad?" Maren interrupted, her voice rising.

Negan paused, his features conflicted as he considered her words, "He's a hostage, Maren. You're gonna have to let him go."

Maren's eyes narrowed, her jaw set with determination, "No way in hell..." she spat venomously, "Like I told you in that RV, you're gonna have to kill me first." Negan's expression darkened with disbelief.

"Fuck, Maren..." he sighed, his gaze shifting to Daryl, "What is it, huh? You think you love him or something?" Maren's unwavering stare was all the answer Negan needed.

"Yeah, actually. I do," she said without hesitation.

Negan's eyes flicked between the two, and Daryl tensed, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. After a long, tense silence, Negan spoke again.

"I'll give you a day..." he said, his voice low and ominous, "One fucking day and then we're gonna talk about this. Alone."

With that, Negan turned and slammed the door behind him, leaving Maren and Daryl alone once more, the weight of his ultimatum hanging heavily in the air.

- TOO FAR GONE -

Maren's voice trembled as she spoke, tears brimming in her eyes, "Daryl, I'm so fucking sorry...I should have known it was him. Maybe if I'd have said something, Glenn and Abraham would still be alive. If I had just-"

Daryl cut her off, taking her hand in his calloused one, "Nah...he would'a killed 'em regardless. It ain't your fault. Ya gotta know that." Maren nodded, but the guilt weighed heavily on her. She forced a watery smile as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"You can use my bathroom to take a shower. I'll make sure nobody bothers us today."

With a silent nod, Maren helped Daryl gather some towels and clean clothes. It was a rare moment where the gruff man didn't put up a fight, eager to rid himself of the accumulated grime. As the sound of running water filled the small bathroom, Maren's thoughts turned to the impossible dilemma she now faced.

She hated her father for what he had done - the lives he had taken, the pain he had caused. Glenn and Abraham's deaths haunted her, a constant reminder of the devastation he had wrought. Yet, after nearly two years of searching, she had finally found him. He was the only family she had left, the man who had raised her. How could she simply give up on him?
Maren chewed on her thumbnail, her brow furrowed in deep contemplation. People had died, and she knew it couldn't have been for nothing. There had to be some greater purpose, some meaning that could justify the unspeakable loss. But the idea of trying to redeem him, of bringing him back from the darkness, filled her with a mix of hope and dread.

In the past few days, he had been so there for her, offering comfort and support as she grappled with the weight of it all. With her mother gone, he was all she had left. Could she really turn her back on him so easily?

No, she couldn't.

Maren knew what she had to do, even if it meant facing the wrath of Rick and the others. She had to at least try to bring him back, to reclaim the man who had once been her loving father. It was a daunting task, fraught with uncertainty and the potential for heartbreak.

But as Daryl emerged from the bathroom, clean but weary, Maren knew she couldn't give up without a fight.

Daryl's concerned gaze met Maren's, taking in the dark circles under her eyes and the troubled expression on her face, "Have you slept at all since...?" he asked, the unspoken ending hanging in the air.

Maren shook her head, allowing Daryl to tenderly trace hearts on her cheek with his calloused fingers.

"I keep replaying it," she admitted, her voice laced with anguish, "But I've gotten to be here for two days. You were stuck down there. I should be taking care of you, Dixon, not the other way around."

Daryl took a deep breath, his features hardening slightly, "Like I said before, ain't nothin' happen down there...barely saw anybody at all, 'cept that son of a bitch Dwight. That and that stupid fuckin' song about a street or some shit."

At that, Maren gave him a puzzled look. "They played you music?"

Daryl nodded, his expression twisting in disgust, "Worst damn song I ever heard." Maren squeezed his hands, her brows furrowed as she tried to process everything.

Sensing his urgency to change the subject, she did, "I guess we should think about what we're gonna do..." she said, her tone resolute.

Daryl's gaze swept across the room, taking in their surroundings, "These people," he started, "They got the numbers. We sure as hell ain't sneakin' out of here easily."

Maren nodded, her mind racing, "I'm thinking we don't have to sneak around at all. I think I can convince him to let us go."

Daryl's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You really think he's just gonna give us up? You?" he asked, his voice tinged with skepticism.

"I'm his daughter..." Maren replied, her eyes filled with determination, "If I say the right things, pull the right strings...I think he'll have to."

"And what're you gonna cook up that's gonna make him do that?" Daryl questioned, clearly unconvinced that Maren's plan would work. Negan had made his disdain for their group abundantly clear, especially when it came to Maren's romantic involvement with Daryl. Maren chewed on her lip, weighing her options.

"If that fails..." she said slowly, "We can fake a supply run, get the hell out of dodge. We could put miles between us and them before they even know we're gone." Daryl nodded, his expression grim.

He was more than ready to return to Alexandria, to put this entire ordeal behind them. But he knew they would need to tread carefully, lest they risk incurring Negan's wrath. But Maren had more to worry about than just her father.

"What if..." Maren paused, hesitant to even utter the words, "What if nobody wants me there? I mean...now they know that Negan's my dad, they probably hate me the way they hate him." Daryl watched her face grow worried, her held her hand tighter after that.

Daryl was quick to retort, "They ain't gonna hate you, Maren. Just 'cause you're related, don't mean you're the same person...Rick, he knows that. He trusts you." His voice sounded so certain, she almost believe that could be true. She wanted it to be true and she hoped it was true.

Maren drew a deep breath, understanding that this was not going to be a simple task by any means. This would take everything.