Kiddo- Daryl Dixon/OC

Chapter 16- This is it

Making it back to our old house most of the walkers had moved away but the guns we stole took care of the ones that were still here. We ran inside so I could change and get our bags. Only taking a few minutes we were ready to head back out, we needed to get as far away from this state as possible. Dad opened a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out keys to our escape car, we spent weeks siphoning gas from all the other cars to get the tank as full as possible. Inside had a few weeks worth of food and water just for an occasion as this one; we jumped inside and dad floored it, pealing out of the garage and down the street dodging walkers as best he could. We made it to the main road and drove in the opposite direction as fast as we could. Only now catching my breath and laying my head back against the seat.

"Kiddo, did he touch ya?"

"No, he wanted to though, he tried." I muttered tears falling down my cheeks.

"Yer safe now; I ain't gonna let those fuckers get to us."

I looked him in the eyes and nodded, wiping my tears away I looked in the glove box for a pack of cigarettes. Lighting one and rolling down the window slightly I relaxed in my seat, the thought passed though my head that it was finally over, but deep down I knew I never was. This was never going to end, things like this were just the world norm now and there was nothing I could do about it. We just had to live in it and hopefully get a good roll of the dice every day.

two weeks later

We were still on the road, no particular destination in mind. Getting gas from other cars as we could we just kept driving. Switching between me and him driving we got as far as we could away. I didn't even know what state we were in anymore. Our only goal was to find somewhere safe.

"I need to pee." I said as we were driving through a small town.

Dad pulled over and we got out, looking around I noticed that it didn't look too run down.

"Lets try an raid it, get as much as we can." Dad said loading his gun.

I nodded, going behind a building to do my business I saw there were footprints on the ground. Pulling my pants back up I ran back to dad but he already knew, gun aimed we followed the prints to a drug store.

"These look fresh." He muttered inspecting the building.

I turned the safety off on mine and aimed just as he was. Right as we were about the open the door we heard the sound of a car door shutting. Spinning around we were face to face with someone I had never seen before. Dad tensed up and dropped his aim. Confusion ran over me.

"Merle." Dad said walking over to him.

"Well well well, guess ya did survive little bother."

Dad threw his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly. The last thing Daryl said was his brother was in Atlanta and not sure whether he was alive or dead. I lowered my gun right as the door to drug store opened up.

"Glen!" I yelled and ran over to him. He hugged me close as Maggie walked out behind him. Rick and Carl ran out from the side of the building yelling my name.

"How did you guys survive?" I asked as Maggie released me from her hug.

"We ran into town, that's where we met up with Merle again. He saved us, brought us somewhere safe. We heard there was talk of a safe zone around here but when we got here there was nothing." Rick explained to me.

Daryl hugged Rick then walked back to me.

"Who's this?" Merle asked looking straight at me.

"Im Alice, I've heard a lot about you."

"My daughter, guess yer her uncle."

"Well adopted daughter."

The group looked at us strangely until I pulled the paper out of my bag and handed it to Rick. They each looked over it, Glen and Maggie smiled and Rick put his hand on Daryl's shoulder.

"She tough 'nough to be a Dixon?" Merle asked.

"She is, tough as nails, saved my ass plenty of times."

I smiled looking up at him.

"Carol, Sophia, Lori and Michonne are waiting for us back at camp, plus a few others that we picked up along the way." Rick said breaking the moment of silence.

My wish had been granted, we didn't lose everyone that I loved and cared about. Some part of me wondered if this was a dream but I never wanted to wake up if it was, this was the best thing that had happened to me beside Daryl adopting me officially. If this was a dream it had to be heaven, and I was okay with that. I had missed everyone so much I could only thank some type of higher power that they were alive and hopefully all well. Piling back into our cars we drove back to where they had set up camp, as a group again, as the family that I had come to know and trust.