My Damaged Protector

Chapter Twenty Five ~ Welcome to the Tombs

Soft sunlight was what woke me up. My eyes flickered open slowly, the springs of the bunk above finally coming into view. "Daryl!" Jasper yelled from my side, making me jump and groan in pain. "Skye's awake!" I wrapped an arm around my middle, breathing through the sharp pain as rushed footsteps came up the stairs.

"Skylar?" Daryl's voice was soft next to me, his hand coming to my back to help me sit up.

"Hi." I smiled weakly at him, leaning back against the wall. "How long was I out?" Daryl gently sat down on one side, Jasper crawling up to the other side.

"Couple hours. Ya slept all night." I nodded, resting a hand over the very sore spot on my side. "Doc stitched ya up, said not to do much for a few weeks but you can do yer normal stuff with Judith." Jasper had been oddly silent on my other side. "What's wrong bud?" I asked, turning my head to give him my full attention.

He sighed. "You left me again." Jasper had yet to fully look at me.

"I'm sorry bud. I had to hep Merle with something. I knew you were with Carl reading his comic books and didn't wanna bother you." I gently reached up and brushed some of the blonde curls away from his face. Jasper quickly hugged onto my arm, positioning himself to be wrapped up in my arm and resting his head gently against my shoulder. Zippers floated through the air downstairs and that's when I noticed my cell was empty except for us. "What's going on?"

Daryl seemed to sense my fear and worry over our home, instantly resting a hand on my other shoulder to calm me. "Relax, we're jus' movin' out for the day. Got a plan to get the Governor to leave us alone for good. Hershel, Beth, you, Jasper, Carl and Judith are gonna go hide out in the woods a mile or so away while the rest of us stay here." I didn't try arguing with Daryl about going, knowing I was in no shape to be running around with a gun.

"When do we leave?"

"Was waitin' on you. I got all your stuff down in the truck with Jasp's things and Judith's bag." Jasper stood with Daryl and went downstairs while Daryl helped me to my feet as carefully as he could. Daryl walked in front of me as we descended the stairs, passing cells that were once filled with our personal things, now only reflecting the cold of the concrete walls. His hands held tightly to mine as I made my way down, weapons belt clipped back around my waist, and boots waiting for me in the truck. My sock covered feet barely made a sound as we joined the rest of the group outside.

Rick was the first to see Daryl and I once we got out into the sunlight. "How you feelin'?" He questioned, walking up and gently hugging me.

"Feel like I got shot, but I'll survive." He smiled softly at me and wondered off to Carl. I turned and watched as Jasper climbed up into the back seat of the truck, sitting himself down in the middle seat.

"Be safe out there alright?" Daryl said as I walked over to the truck door. My boots, jacket and bag were all sat in the bed of the truck with my riffle leaned against it all.

I gave Daryl a half smile and a nod. "You too, ok?"

He had his lips pressed into a line and gave me a nod back. "Keep yer brother safe, little ass kicker too."

"Of course." Dread was slowly filling my veins. The thought of half my family staying behind in the prison to keep a group, a very large group, out and away was eating at me. I reached forward and wrapped my arms around his middle, holding tightly to him. His arms wound around me a bit slower, but eventually he was holding just as tight and a kiss was pressed to my head.

Daryl was called away by Rick, leaving me to climb into the truck, Hershel talking the drivers side with Beth and Carl getting into the back with Jasper and Judith. Hershel gave directions to a known clearing a bit more than a mile away from the prison, in a direction that we hoped the Governor wouldn't think to cover, and lucky for us, we got to the clearing in minutes with no issues.