rag doll | TWD

[75] a new beginning

hanging by a moment --- lifehouse

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[POV]

It had been 18 months since things had ended.

JJ still refused to talk to Rick, especially after he'd asked Daryl to temporarily stay at the Sanctuary while they rebuilt themselves.

Although Daryl had assured JJ that she didn't need to go, she insisted anyway. All Maggie talked about now was how she was going to overthrow Rick and Michonne to get to Negan and kill him.

The only thing that JJ wanted was to be with the one who would let the past be the past. Even if that meant staying at the Sanctuary for a short time. Sure, Daryl agreed with Maggie and with the fact that Negan should be dead, JJ did too. But he didn't let it consume their time together.

As much as JJ hated being in that place, she did her share of the work. She chose to help out with things outside. Daryl had even begun to teach her about bikes- especially when he realized she was better off on a bike than behind the wheel of a car.

Daryl greeted JJ, who sat on the ground, leaned against the shaded part of the building, fiddling with a screwdriver. "You just gonna act like you're doing somethin' useful?"

JJ frowned as she looked up, dropping the screwdriver.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked as Daryl sat on the ground next to her.

"The part you're pretendin' to fix there needs a Phillips head...that's a flat head."

She glanced at it, then looked back to Daryl, "Oh whatever."

Daryl scoffed, "I gotta get goin' in about an hour."

"I'm thinking about going."

"On the run?"

JJ nodded.

"Rick's goin'."

"Shocker." She sighed, scratching the pavement with the screwdriver. "But... I need a break from here. It's getting to my head."

Daryl nodded, feeling the same way.

"Come on." He stood up, offering a hand to help JJ off the ground.

She took his hand, being pulled to her feet, "Why're we goin' so soon? I thought we had some time before we had to leave."

"Goin' for a ride. It'll help clear your head."

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The sun filtered through the canopy of leaves, creating a scene of moving shadows as they found their way through the woods. The farther JJ and Daryl got from the Sanctuary, the better they both felt. Being back there had messed with their minds in more ways than expected.

JJ took a deep breath. For once, the air didn't smell like death, but instead, fresh pine trees. Back at the factory, which people still referred to as the Sanctuary, it seemed like the only thing that lingered was death. Whether it be from the dying vegetation, walkers or the many people that Negan had killed their- it loomed in the air.

"You were right." JJ told Daryl, loudly, making sure to be heard over the engine.

Daryl turned his head to the side, letting the wind carry his voice backward, "Bout what?"

"This helped."

He nodded, agreeing.

"We should probably get back to the main road. Gotta meet the others soon."

JJ leaned in, wrapping her arms tighter around Daryl, "We'll do this again?"

"Anytime you want to. You tell me." He told her, loudly. "Next time, we'll go out farther."