Confide in Fear | DARYL DIXON •1

26. Alive

Alex's *POV*

"Are you gonna take the cross too?" Father Gabriel rushes his words out, as he follows me outside the church.

"Gabe- "  I close my eyes and stop walking, remembering that he would probably like to be called father. "Father Gabriel...I know what this means to you, we won't take it. Just.. everything else I guess."

"He wants to go to Atlanta, but I can't have that." Rick speaks.

"Who wants to go to Atlanta?" I ask, standing beside Michonne, as her arms were crossed.

"Noah."

"Noah..." I look over my shoulder and see the kid sitting down as Daryl stood beside him. He made it back, this time he wasn't alone. Carol wasn't with him, just some skinny young kid around Beth's age, who looked distraught and tired. When he had rushed back to the church, Maggie, Glenn and them had been gone already, so they couldn't be here to hear the news that broke. They had found and knew where Beth was. And they wanted to go and get her.

"He wants to come with us?" I ask.

Rick nods, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Then you stay." Michonne says, finding a simple solution to his problem.

"I owe it to Carol."

"We all owe it to Carol." Michonne states.

"She saved our lives, we should save hers too." I chimed in, trying to convince Rick to let us come with him.

"I owe her more." Rick said, then looking at us.

"So, who's joining you? I'm down to go." I said, giving a smile.

"I'm down with it too," Rick laughed. "But I don't know if Daryl is..."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I raised my eyebrow, also reminding me of something Glenn would've said.

"He's just protective of you." Rick smiled. "He's always been protective, got a weird way of showing it but.. he's Daryl."

"I can make my own decisions."

A few minutes later, Rick was getting everyone ready to leave with him, gathering weapons and getting into a car. I stood by the steps of the church, watching them. I heard footsteps from behind me, a gruff voice calling out to me.

"I don't want you coming." Daryl said, as we walked back into the church.

"Why not? And why does it matter to you?" I asked, stopping behind him, so we can talk face to face.

"Because-" he pauses, "It could be dangerous. I don't want those people back there to take you or if worse comes to worse... I just don't want you to go." Daryl said, looking down and picking up his crossbow.

"Sasha's going." I stated.

"Michonne's staying." He answered in the same tone of voice as me.

"I'm just as capable as you are to go out and do these types of things."

"So is Michonne and that's why she's staying. To protect Carl and Judith. And to watch Gabriel." Daryl said, then getting ready to walk away.