Catch Fire | Daryl Dixon

BRIDGES AND BOUNDARIES

Daryl's POV

We had just made it back from that hell of a trip to get the Kingdom's people to safety. The snowstorm had hit hard, and we had to cut through the Whisperer's territory, but we'd made it. We got them to Hilltop. Carol and Lydia came with us back to Alexandria, choosing not to stay at Hilltop, which was fine by me. But the second I stepped through the gates, the weight of everything I'd been holding in hit me hard.

I barely had time to take it all in before Rosita and Gabriel walked up, both of them bundled up against the cold, faces serious. I could tell something had happened just by the way they moved, and my stomach twisted with unease.

"We need to talk," Rosita said, her voice tense. Gabriel nodded in agreement, looking between me and Michonne.

I stopped, my eyes narrowing. "What?"

Rosita glanced at Gabriel before starting. "There was an issue with the storm. Everyone had to move around to stay warm. We ended up splitting between Aaron's house, Barbara's place, and the church."

I felt a knot forming in my chest. "And?"

Gabriel stepped in; his voice low. "Willow and Judith ran off into the storm. They heard Dog barking and went after him."

My heart stopped for a second, then started pounding hard in my chest. "What?" I growled, stepping closer. "What the hell happened?"

"Negan and Kennedy chased after them," Rosita added quickly, like she could see the anger building. "They found them, Daryl. Got them back before it was too late."

I blinked, trying to process what I just heard. "Negan?" My voice was sharp, disbelieving. "What the hell was Negan doin' out there? Ain't he supposed to be locked up?"

Gabriel sighed, rubbing his hands together like he was trying to warm them, but I could tell he was just as tense as I was. "If we had left him in his cell, he would've frozen to death. We had no choice but to let him out, Daryl."

"I don't care," I snapped. "You could've kept him somewhere else. Away from her."

Gabriel held up his hands. "I get it. But Negan helped. He helped save Willow and Judith. I know it's hard to hear, but it's the truth."

I clenched my fists, my chest tight with anger and confusion. Negan, out there, with Kennedy and Willow? The thought of him being anywhere near my daughter made me sick. I should've been here. I should've been the one protecting her, not him.

Michonne stepped closer, her tone softer but firm. "Daryl, I know how hard this is to swallow, but you need to be grateful. Negan helped save our kids."

I gritted my teeth, feeling the storm inside me build. "I ain't gotta be grateful for nothin' when it comes to him."

Gabriel sighed again, stepping in front of me like he was trying to make me see reason. "He's in the infirmary right now. He got hit by debris while he was out there looking for the girls. And Kennedy, she helped him. Kept him from bleeding out once they got to Aaron's place. Siddiq was focused on the girls, so she stepped up."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Kennedy helped Negan? The man who had once taken everything from us, everything from me? It made me feel sick to my core. I clenched my fists tighter, my nails digging into my palms.

"So?" I growled. "That don't mean shit."

Gabriel gave me a long look, his eyes tired. "I'm just saying... it's something."

"It's nothin'," I shot back, my voice cold.

Michonne sighed beside me. "I'm going to the infirmary. To thank him."