Daryl's Girl

Chapter 153

We walked through the day and I was walking to the back of them all. The sun began to set and Joe moved to the front as they left the tracks. I guessed that they were looking for somewhere to camp.

That was until they all went of in seperate directions and Joe signalled for me to stay back. I couldn't see if there were walkers or people but Joe didn't want us to be seen.

I stood and listened as the others stepped out on what seemed to be people. This wasn't right. I stayed behind the car for a little while longer and listened to what Joe had to say to the people.

"Oh deary me. You screwed up asshole. You hear me. You screwed up. Todays the day of reckoning sir. Restitution. The balancing of the whole damn universe. Shit and I was thinking of turning in for the night on new years eve. Now who's gonna count down the ball dropper with me huh? Ten mississippi, nine mississippi, eight mississippi." Joe growled.

I'd had enough. I walked round the side of the car. "Joe!" I yelled at him and saw who he had his gun pointed to.

Rick and Michonne both looked at me. Beth was right. People were still alive. "Hold up."

"You're stopping me at eight Daryl." Joe held out his hand.

"Just hold up." I told him and walked closer to Rick and Michonne. I didn't want to take my eyes away just in case this wasn't real.

"This is the guy who killed Lou, so we got nothing to talk about." Harley snapped.

Joe looked directly at me. "The thing about now a days is we've got nothing but time. Say your piece Daryl."

"These people." I pointed at Rick and Michonne. "You're gonna let 'em go. These are good peoole."

"Now I think Lou would disagree with you on that. Of course I'll have to speak for him and all 'cause your friend here strangled him in a bathroom." Joe answered back.

Non of the others moved and Joe still had his gun pointed at Rick. "You want blood. I get it." I placed down my bag and crossbow away from me. "Take it from me man. Come on."

Joe looked at me in pure shock. I don't think he was expecting me to stand up for Rick and Michonne. "This man killed our friend. You say he's good people. See that right there is, is, is a lie." He spoke calmly. I stepped back as Joe stuttered. "It's a lie!"

Harley came from the side and winded me with the back of his gun. Then the other men joined in, just like they did with Len. "Teach him fellas. Teach him all the way." I heard Joe say.

They pushed me up againts the car where I saw Carl being dragged out by Dan. I lost focus as the others threw punches and kicks in my direcrion.

I could hear the mumbles of Joe and Rick over the others beating me. Then there was a gun shot and they layed back on their punches. Then another. I turned and punched Billy and crushing his head as Rick bit into Joes neck. I stumbled a little as Michonne shot Tony and then Harley.

All that was left was Dan. He moved from the ground dragging Carl with him. "I'll kill him. I'll kill him." Dan yelled.

"Let the boy go!" Michonne yelled whilst pointing a gun.

"He's mine." Rick took Joes knife and walked over to him.

"Please." Dan begged as Rick swung the knife into his chest.

Carl stumbled into Michonnes arms and I regained my balance using the car. Michonne stood up and took Carl into the car and used some spare tshirts from the suitcase in the boot to block the windows.

Once morning came Rick went and sat by the car door whilst I moved the bodys a down the road a ways. I still can't get over that at least someone from the prison is alive. All we have to do now is get to Terminus and hope that Lily is there.

I searched through their things before walking away and found a bottle and some cloth. I walked back over to Rick and poured some water onto the cloth for him to clean himself up with.

"We should save it to drink." Rick refused the cloth.

"You can't see yourself. They can." I looked at the car windows.

Rick took the cloth and began to wipe his face with it. I sat down next to him and screwed the lid back on the bottle. "I didn't know what they were." I told Rick.

Rick nodded and looked back at me. "How'd you wind up with them?"

"I was with Beth. We got out together after I'd told Lily to get out. I was with her for a while." I stopped and remembered what she'd said about having hope.

"Is she dead?" Rick asked.

That was a quiestion I didn't know the answer to. The last thing I know is a car was leaving and Beth was no where to be see. "She's just gone." I told him. "After that. That's when they found me. I mean I knew they were bad but they had a code. It was simple. Stupid. But it was something. It was enough."

"You were alone." Rick showed understanding.

"Said they were looking for someone. And last night they must have spotted you. I was hanging back. I was gonna leave. It wasn't right what they were doing. But I stayed. That's when I saw it was you three. Right when you saw me. I didn't know what they could do." I explained.

"It's not on you Daryl." Rick told me. Though like everything I do blame myself. "Hey, it's not on you. You being back with us here. Now. That's everything. You're my brother."

I looked up at Rick and he nodded. He meant what he said. In some ways he's like a brother to me. More than Merle ever was.

"What you did last night. Anybody would have done that." I told him.

"No. Not that." Rick shook his head.

"Something happened. That ain't you." I tried to make him feel better about what happened.

"Daryl. You saw what I did to Tyreese. It ain't all that but that's me. That's why I'm here now. That's why Carl is. I want to keep them safe. That's all that matters." Rick accepted what he'd done.
Once Carl woke up he and Michonne got out of the car. We each grabbed a couple of bags and made our way back to the tracks. Rick and Michonne walked up front and I walked behind with Carl.

All that was going through my head was what Rick said to me. Being out here in this world now, it's like he was saying that the whole group was a family. I'd never really thought about it in that way but I can see it now.

We walked up to another sign that had fallen on the floor. Rick cleared the leaves and 'Terminus' was in bold. "We're getting close." I looked up the tracks. "Be there before sundown."

"Now we head through the woods. We don't know who they are." Rick spoke thoughtfully.

"Alright." I nodded and walked of the tracks to be followed by Carl.

I walked up front with my crossbow ready. Rick was right for all we know these people could be like the Governor. We walked for an hour and came up by a fence. Rick dropped his bag and I let him pass.

We looked through the fencing and sure enough there it was. Terminus.