Catch Fire | Daryl Dixon

ASLEEP

Daryl's POV

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over Hilltop as I walked over to the spot where Kennedy sat, her eyes distant and focused on some invisible point. She'd been like this for days, lost in her thoughts, ever since we brought Negan back from the fight.

Rosita and Glenn joined me, each wearing the same expression of concern that I felt. We all knew this wasn't right, keeping Negan alive after everything he'd done. But Kennedy was convinced that Rick's decision to spare him was the way forward. I knew she was holding onto Carl's vision of peace as a lifeline, but I feared it was just a way for her to bury the pain she didn't want to face.

"Hey, Ken," I said softly, taking a seat beside her. Rosita and Glenn stood close by, looking at her with a mix of sympathy and frustration.

Kennedy turned to me, her eyes showing a flicker of recognition. "Hey," she replied, her voice a little distant, as if she were still somewhere else.

Rosita crossed her arms, leaning against the fence post. "We need to talk," she said, her tone firm but gentle. "About Negan."

Kennedy's expression hardened slightly. "Rick made the right call," she said, almost mechanically. "Carl wanted us to find another way."

I exchanged a glance with Glenn, who sighed and stepped forward. "Look, we get why you're saying this. We know how much Carl meant to you, how much his vision meant to him, but... keeping Negan alive? After everything?"

I nodded, my heart aching at the thought of what Glenn had lost. "It ain't just about us, Ken. It's about the people here, the ones who suffered 'cause of him. Negan's too dangerous to keep around."

Kennedy shook her head, her voice rising slightly. "He'll be locked up, Daryl. He can't hurt anyone anymore. We have a chance to be better, to stop the cycle of killing."

I leaned forward, trying to make her see reason. "But what if he gets out? What if he finds a way to hurt more people? We can't take that risk. Not after everythin'."

Rosita pushed herself off the fence, stepping closer. "You're using Carl's vision to hide from what you're feeling," she said bluntly. "You need to feel it, Kennedy. Because when that grief hits, you're gonna regret letting Negan live."

Kennedy looked at each of us in turn, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I'm not hiding. I believe in what Carl wanted. I have to."

Glenn ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his movements. "I know you want to honour Carl. We all do. But keeping Negan alive doesn't do that. It just keeps the pain going."

Silence settled over us, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down. I could see the conflict in Kennedy's eyes, the struggle between holding onto Carl's dream and facing the harsh reality we all lived in.

I reached out, placing a hand on her arm. "We're here for you, okay? When you're ready to talk about Carl, when you're ready to deal with all this, we'll be here."

She nodded, her expression softening just a little. "I know. I just... I need time. I need to believe there's a better way."

We all stood there for a moment longer, knowing that nothing we said could change her mind just yet. She was holding on tight, and when she finally let go, it was going to hurt like hell. But I promised myself that when that moment came, I would be right here, ready to help her through it.

As we turned to leave, I glanced back at Kennedy, her silhouette against the setting sun. She was strong, stronger than she realized, and I knew that whatever came next, we'd face it together. Even if it meant facing the darkness she was running from.