Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Thirty-two.

We have a future.

"He's been here four months. How didn't I know?" Aaron asks "None of us did." Daryl says, "We all ate together. Talked about training the militia. He treated Gracie." Aaron continues "You can't do that to yourself." Iris says, "Yeah. Especially now. We gotta keep our heads straight, try to figure out what's going on." Daryl says.

"Mary, the Whisperer I've been talking to, um, told me where Alpha is keeping the herd. Just over the border, on their side. It's this sunken field on the edge of the national forest." Aaron explains.

"We can leave right after the funeral." Carol says "We're gonna trust a Whisperer now?" Daryl questions "You wanna do nothing?" Carol asks "Lydia's still gone. We don't even know what that means yet." Iris snaps.

"Alpha doesn't know that. With Dante locked up in a cell, she never has to." Aaron says "We ain't gonna talk about how this is probably an ambush?" Daryl asks "Well, the baby that Connie rescued apparently that's Mary's nephew. She wants to see him. I don't think she's lying." Aaron explains.

"Alright. Get a group from Hilltop and meet us there. Second we're done, we're going looking for the girl." Daryl says "Yeah. I'll radio them. Maybe they can get the news to Michonne, too." Aaron says standing and walking away.

"Hey. Why don't you stay here? we'll go." Daryl says to Carol, "Why?" the woman asks "You gonna tell me what really happened out there?" Daryl asks "I told you. Lydia didn't want to come back. I couldn't make her." Carol says.

"Her being here protects us. You know that." Daryl says "So, that's it for her now, to be our shield? Just lock her up again? I showed one of Alpha's people that their leader lied to them, and that's good for us. We can push on their wounds, too." Carol explains.

"You still should have told us." Iris snaps, "I'll help you look for her, but I don't think she wants to be found." Carol says "Are we talking about her, or are we talking about you?" Daryl asks, Iris watches the woman walk out of the house.

"You okay?" Daryl asks, looking over at Iris, "I just wish I went in the house sooner. I should've noticed something... Carl died for Siddiq and i couldn't even help him" Iris mumbles, "it's not your fault" Daryl says, pulling Iris into a hug.

.........

"I remember this passage from my studies." Gabriel says, Iris holds onto Daryl's hand as they stand watching Siddiq's funeral, "Written by a scholar centuries ago who was trying to understand the impossible. 'Let me live if life is better for me and take my life if death is better for me.' He had surrendered himself to fate because his world defied logic. Defied justice." Gabriel continues.

He walks over to the grave, picking up a handful of dirt, sprinkling it on the grave as he speaks "We created you from it and return you into it and from it we will raise you a second time."

Iris watches Rosita kneel down next to the grave, placing dirt on top, Daryl picks RJ up, holding onto Iris's hand with his other as they start to walk away.

..........

Iris and Daryl slow their bikes, climbing off, Iris looks back at Carol and Aaron as they climb off the horses, she smiles as she watches Connie, Kelly, Magna and Jerry step out from the trees. "Hey" Daryl says, walking over to them with Iris by his side.

"Hey, D. hey Iris" Jerry says "hey" Iris says, Connie pulls Iris into a hug, Iris hugs the woman back, pulling away and looking at the woman, Connie offers a sympathetic smile, "thank you" Iris says, signing the words at the same time.

The group start walking, when night takes over they make it to the border, Daryl and Iris stop as the others walk over the line, Iris looks down and holds onto the mans hand, looking back up at him "we got this" she whispers.

Daryl and Iris slowly step over the line, looking around as they walk, "Wait." Daryl says, Carol stops and the pair run over to her, "Coulda lost a foot." Daryl says, looking down at the bear trap. "They laid traps. Means we're getting closer." Carol says.

"I saw something over there." she adds nodding into the darkness "Will you stop this shit? Please. You want her dead so bad, you don't even care what happens to you." Daryl says "That's not true." Carol argues "You never came off that boat. It's been like talking to a goddamn ghost." Daryl says.

"I'm doing the best I can." Carol says "we're the ones you tell. Us" Daryl snaps, his voice breaking with hurt, "I don't I don't know how." Carol cries "You gotta try, alright?" Daryl says, "Come here." he says pulling her into a hug.

"She's not worth it. She's not. Look at me." Daryl says pulling away and looking at Carol, "She's a dead woman, anyway. We have a future. Don't let her take that, too." Daryl says, wiping Carol's tears.

"You good?" he asks "Yeah." "Alright. I'll get this." Daryl says before turning back to the bear trap, Iris grabs onto Carol's hand, "I don't care what happens, I still love you Carol. Your family" Iris whispers, "thank you" Carol whispers.

...........

The group look down at the canyon, the empty canyon "God damn it!" Daryl shouts, walking away "Wait." Aaron tries, "For what?" Daryl asks "This doesn't mean Mary lied to us, alright? They were protecting this place. T-They put a trap in the road as a deterrent." Aaron tries "Yeah, from some hunter a decade ago." Daryl argues.

"No. That thing was rigged more recently than that, and you know it." Aaron says "You wanna stand around and figure it out?" Daryl questions.

"Look, the herd could have been here last week or yesterday. We had an obligation to come check this out." Aaron says "Nah. Time to find Lydia. Let's go." Daryl says, walking away.