Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter 139.

You're not alone.

Iris slowly opens her eyes, looking around the room and finding Daryl already awake, looking down at her. "Mornin'" he says watching her sit up, "mornin'" Iris mumbles, "put your boots on, i've got something for you" Daryl says, standing up and putting his shoes on, Iris looks at him confused before slipping on her boots.

She follows Daryl out of the room and down to the garage, "what are we doing out here?" she questions, she watches as Daryl walks over to a sheet covering something, Daryl pulls the sheet off and dumps it on the floor, looking back up at her, "what?" she questions looking at him confused, "it's yours" Daryl says, "huh?" "I found the body while out on a run, fixed it up a little. It's yours" Daryl explains.

Iris stares at the man and the bike in disbelief, a small bit of guilt eating at her, thinking about what she was planning to do, "do you like it?" Daryl asks "i love it" Iris smiles, in between every time she visited Daryl he had been building this for her, "i thought it would make it easier for you to visit, now you can see Judith and Juniper more" Daryl says, "thank you" Iris says walking over to him and the bike.

Looking down at the bike she realises that maybe she isn't alone, maybe this time away from Alexandria will be good for her. "What's wrong?" Daryl questions, looking down at Iris as she looks down at the bike, "nothing" Iris whispers, "when you left last night Rick told me what you said to him" Daryl says, he gently turns her to look at him, placing his hands on the side of her face.

"I've thought about you every day. You're not alone, I'm gonna do everything to help you see that... i love you... and i've never felt like this with anyone else" Daryl explains, Iris looks up at him with teary eyes, "i love you" Iris says, kissing daryl, pulling away with a bright smile on her face. Iris turns back to her bike, climbing onto it, "looks good" Daryl says, smiling down at her, "this is the best gift i've ever been given" Iris says, looking up at him and smiling, "hey guys you ready?" Carol asks, waking into the garage.

Carol smiles, looking at the pair, the happiest she's seen them in a while, "yeah" Iris says, she starts the bike, Daryl watches the spark in her eyes as the bike roars to life, Iris drives the bike out to the front, Daryl stops his bike behind hers. They bid their goodbyes to Carol and get ready to go, Iris pulls her bandana over her face before climbing back onto her bike.

She looks back at Daryl nodding before turning the bike on and driving it down the road, Daryl on his bike next to her, the others on their horses further back down the road Rick holding onto Iris's horse next to his. Iris smiles as she feels the light breeze on her face, her mind finally quiet.

..........

Iris rides her bike up the dirt road, slowing to a stop inside the walls, climbing off the bike she pulls her bandana off her head and shoves it into the back pocket of her shorts, she walks over to Maggie but stops when she notices the injuries on the woman's face. "Are you okay?" Iris questions, walking up to the woman and inspecting the injury, "i'm fine" Maggie says.

"What happened?" Rick asks, "Gregory... got someone to try and kill me" Maggie answers looking around at her friends, "i'm gonna kill him" Iris says, letting go of maggies face "it's okay" Maggie says, stopping Iris from getting Gregory "i'm dealing with it" Maggie adds.

Iris watches everyone go their separate ways, the redhead uses this as her chance to find Gregory, ignoring the other man in the cells she walks over to Gregory, "you really are week" Iris laughs, gregory looks up at the woman, fear flashing in his eyes when he sees the look on her face.

"What are you doing?" he questions, "you have to get another man to try and kill someone. It's pathetic" Iris says, taking her bandana out of her pocket and tying it around her right fist.

"What do you want?" Gregory asks, his voice shaking with fear, "I've known men like you before. Weak and pathetic." Iris says, unlocking the cell door and opening it up, smiling as the man cowers in the corner, "you think you can hurt maggie and Enid and nothing will happen to you?" Iris questions, walking over to the man, Iris raises her fist hitting Gregory in the jaw, the man drops to the ground, Iris kicks him in the stomach a few times.

She crouches down next to him and grabs onto his shirt, pulling him up slightly to look at her, "you hurt my family? I'm gonna make sure you never see the light of day again. I promise you that" Iris threatens, shoving him back into the ground, she stands up again, kicking him one last time before spitting down on him and leaving him in the cell again.

When Iris steps back outside she stops when she sees Maggie standing with her hands on her hips, "you swiped my keys" Maggie says, Iris takes the bandana off her hand and shoves it back into her pocket, "is he alive?" Maggie asks "I only spoke to him" Iris lies, "you didn't have to" Maggie says, "he hurt you and Enid. No one hurts my family and gets away with it" Iris says, "thanks" Maggie says, dropping her hands from her hips and smiling at Iris.

"Now, where's Hershel?" Iris asks, Maggie grabs onto her hand and they walk together to the manor, "hey little man" Iris whispers, reaching into the crib and picking up the boy, "he's gotten so big" Iris says turning to Maggie, "he has, i don't know where all the times gone" Maggie says, Iris looks down at the baby.

"I was thinking of staying here for awhile" Iris says, looking around the community, "really? What about Juniper?" Maggie asks. "I'll visit them... i just need some time away" Iris explains, "i understand. You're always welcome here" Maggie says.

...........

"What are you doing?" Gregory questions, watching Iris unlock his cell, "i never break a promise" Iris says, tying rope around Gregory's wrists, "what?!" Gregory panics, Iris drags him out of the cell, walking through the crowd and towards Daryl.

Daryl puts the noose around Gregorys neck and helps Iris get the man on a horse, Iris steps away with Daryl, "I don't want to do this. But people need to understand that at Hilltop, the punishment fits the crime." Maggie explains to the crowd surrounding them.

"Do you have any final words?" She asks, turning to Gregory, "What you're doing isn't right. Somebody stop this, please. Killing me in the dead of night because you're ashamed." Gregory cries "You're wrong. I'm not ashamed." Maggie says, nodding to Daryl.

Iris watches Gregory as Daryl walks over to the horse, "Stop this! Please! Now, for the love of God, stop it!" the man screams, "Maggie, stop!" Michonne screams, Daryl smacks the horse on the ass making it run, Iris watches Gregory's body swing back and forth, twitching as he runs out of oxygen.

"Get the children back in bed." Maggie says, "I made this decision. But this is not the beginning of something. I don't want to go through it again." she adds, looking around at everyone, she slowly turns to Iris and Daryl "Cut him down." she orders.

Iris and Daryl walk over to the man's body, Iris stands by the body and waits for Daryl to cut through the rope, she pulls out her knife as the body drops to the ground, she bends down and drives her blade into the man's head.