in a dark meadow -- daryl dixon

take the shot

word count: 3008

The cell her and Daryl called home was emptied.

Their clothes, blankets, and other supplies had been carefully packed away, stowed within one of the SUV trunks. Avery gazed upon the barren walls of the cramped room, her eyes falling on a wilted pile of cherokee rose petals, the stems arranged in a vase that had long gone dry.

They were leaving the prison. While Merle managed to take out eight of the Governor's men, they were still heavily outnumbered by the town. When her and Daryl had returned to the prison, she watched him silently head back inside on his own. She had a thousand things she wanted to say to him, but for once, she couldn't find the words.

She lingered in the courtyard until she found discarded plywood, fastening the pieces into a makeshift cross. Using her knife, she carefully whittled Merle's name into the wood. When she was finished, she leaned the cross against the innermost fence, the wood appearing gray in the sunlight. She couldn't go out into the overrun fields to stake it amongst the others, but she'd place it in their memorial space as soon as she could. Daryl probably wouldn't care for it, but she wanted a space for him to honor and remember his brother, if he wished to.

Hitching the last bag over her shoulder, she bid the cell one last look before descending down the stairs. She nearly bumped into Carl, prepared to give him a smile, but the boy kept his head down. His jaw was clenched and there was anger in his eyes. He was upset that they were leaving. It was giving up, in his eyes.

Emerging out into the courtyard, Avery approached the SUV and tossed the bag into the opened trunk. She rounded the car and saw Daryl, who was sitting on the ground next to his motorcycle. He was counting his bolts until his eyes had settled on the cross in the courtyard, his brother's name etched into the wood. His chest briefly tightened.

"Merle never did somethin' like that his whole life." He spoke as Avery stood behind him, her eyes following his line of vision. It was the first he'd spoke of his brother since yesterday.

"He did it for you."

He took in her words before glancing up at her. "Thank you,"

"For what?"

He looked at the cross again. "Nobody ever cared 'bout either of us."

She smiled before offering him a hand. "Come on,"

Gripping onto her forearm, she helped him to his feet. His hand lingered on her lower back for a moment before he turned to his bike, fastening the satchel.

"Think we got a chance?"

Daryl pressed his lips together. "Man don't know who he messed with."

Avery nodded, her eyes shining fiercely. "We're ending this, one way or another."

The packing was a precaution, in case their plan went south. Hershel, Beth, Carl, and Judith would leave the compound, parking the SUV some distance away within the thicket of the woods. The others would stay back, deploying the traps they had set up for the Governor and his men. Spike strips had been concealed in the prison yard to stop vehicles from getting too close. The guard towers had been cleared. They'd use the walkers in the compound to their advantage.

When the cell block had been cleared of their belongings, they all took their respective positions. Avery found herself hidden within the shadows of the boiler room, crouched beside the building's generator. Daryl and Rick were somewhere within the corridors beyond, while Maggie, Glenn, and Carol remained out of sight in the courtyard. Sweat built on Avery's palms as gripped onto her knife tightly with one hand, waiting for the signal.