Safe haven, Rick Grimes

101. JUST ME AND MY SIBLINGS NOW

Chapter one hundred and one

"Just me and my siblings now."

They all had regrouped at Alexandria, but it didn't mean they were safe seeing as Beta or the boogeyman was still out there and after Hilltop, Alexandria was next on the list, so they headed out and to an abandoned tower, where Daryl hadn't been talking since that night and had been keeping his distance from his siblings as he stood on his own looking at his gun which many years ago belonged to his older brother Carl, where his sisters and younger brother stood nearby watching him, dog lied at their feet.

"He saved us. And now he won't even talk to us." Caroline shared "because the ones he killed may have looked like walkers, but they weren't. They were people." Judith shared "if I stayed back like you wanted.." Rick was saying "no. If you weren't there, it would've been one of us. Same outcome." Judith shared, as silence over fell them.

Out in the woods, Daryl had the walkie that kept them in contact with Scarlett "I know you ain't coming back. But I just thought I'd let you know we got a plan to end this. One you'd have come up yourself if you were here." he shared, letting go of the button, as he continued to walk, he pressed the button again "man, being on the run like this barely scraping by..reminds me of the old gang." he shared, letting go of the button, static came through, as he pressed it again "seems like ages now." he said, letting go of it, he furrowed his brows, pressing it again "Scarlett? Can you hear me?" he asked, letting go of it, but still only static, as he walked off.

Back at the tower, dog was barking at the cat which hissed at him "no, dog, no." Rick was saying, as he, Judith and Caroline held him back, Lydia walked up and picked up the cat "we're sorry about your mom." Judith told her "you don't have to be." Lydia told her "do you miss her?" Caroline asked "no. Not everyone get's to have a mom like you guys." Lydia shared, as the three turned dog around and walking him away from the cat, but as they did, they saw that their brother was gone.

Out in the woods, young Daryl was walking through the woods, where a walker could be heard, as it walked through the trees and toward's him, he lifted up his gun and shot him, as his body hit the ground with a thud "hey. What are you doing?" Daryl asked, as young Daryl huffed "what does it look like?" he asked "who you with?" Daryl asked, as young Daryl walked up to the walker and began checking it for weapons "come on. We're going back. Let's go." Daryl told him, walking up to him, he grabbed his arm and pulled him up and as he did, young Daryl pulled his arm out his grasp "no." he told him.

As Daryl stepped toward's him "I'm not asking. Let's go." he told him, as young Daryl glared up at him "and your not my father so I don't have to listen to a damn thing you tell me." he told him, turning and walking off, and as he did, Daryl followed after him.

Back in the tower, Judith, Caroline and Rick were sitting down with dog laying down in front of them, where anytime someone tried to give them food they would say no, not feeling hungry since they were worried about their brother being out there on his own, Negan came walking up to them and crouched down "hey, guys, uh..I've seen how distant your brothers been." he shared "he won't talk to us and now he's gone." Judith shared "doing what he did to save all of you, all of us along with finding out that the man he should've been looking up to his entire life and wanting to be like is out there somewhere, alive, isn't easy. So he just needs some space, but he'll come back. He would never leave you three alone." Negan shared.

Out in the woods, young Daryl was walking ahead as Daryl walked behind him, he noticed his crossbow wasn't on him "is that why you stopped using your crossbow? Cause I ain't your dad?" Daryl asked him, as young Daryl ignored him and looked at the tree to the left, with walker skin on it "were getting close." he told him, walking around the tree, Daryl continued to follow behind him, as the sound of growling could be heard, the two looked through the trees seeing a few of them, Daryl brought up his crossbow and shot the one who lifted her head up, getting her in the shoulder, she turned running off to the left, the two then moved out from behind the tree, and stabbed the four walkers that were left, they then ran off in the direction the woman went.

Walking side by side, hearing heavy breathing, young Daryl brought up his gun and walked toward the sound, as Daryl followed behind him with his crossbow raised, the woman was lying in a ditch with her mask off, bleeding from the arrow to her shoulder and pulled out her knife, aiming it at them "throw it over there. Now." Daryl told her "I will if you pull this out of me. I can't die like this. It ain't natural." the woman shared "drop the knife." young Daryl told her, as the woman threw it to the side "where are your people?" Daryl asked "two miles east. Heading to the ocean." the woman shared.

"Are they with the horde? You a scout?" Daryl asked "I was..going off on my own." the woman shared "why?" Daryl asked "I had no choice. I love those people but he's..I couldn't stay there." the woman shared "he's what?" Daryl asked "he's lost it. After what you did to her. Will you take this out?" the woman asked "does he know where we are?" young Daryl asked "I don't know. But he's gonna keep coming for you. You took too much." the woman shared, as young Daryl pulled the trigger, shooting her in the head.

Daryl walked down there and grabbed his arrow, along with the woman's mask "better be quick." he told him, turning around and walking back up, young Daryl tuned around, as the two walked off.

Heading back to the tower, young Daryl was walking ahead, as Daryl followed behind him "you know, what you've had to do out here is exactly why I never wanted you out here in the first place." he shared, and as he did, young Daryl stopped and turned to him "and yet when were left at home, it's not any better is it? Cause like she said he's gonna keep coming for us. Because no matter what we think, we are never safe! My brother thought he was, and then helping someone got him killed. My dad thought he was, then he wound up on that bridge injured and alone thanks to who knows what and then someone took him away!" he voiced.

And when he did, Daryl remembered that day, knowing he and Maggie were the reason "and now my mom's gone to find him and she's gonna die trying, which means it's just me and my siblings now, because you all will die or leave too and I will not let that be the reason the Grimes family dies!" young Daryl voiced, in which Daryl just stared at him, knowing he was right, radio static came through as he pulled it out "Gabriel?" he asked, letting go of the button "Daryl..where..?" Gabriel asked, as Daryl pressed the button "your breaking up. I can't hear you." he told him, letting go of it "come back..they've surrounded.." Gabriel was saying "Gabriel." Daryl said, but Gabriels voiced didn't come back through "he found us." young Daryl said.