Always (A Daryl Dixon/ The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Chapter 44 - Crossed

I hold the plank of wood in place as Carl hammers the nails through into the church below. We've been doing this for a couple of hours, fortifying the church and making it strong. Daryl explained everything to us that happened in Atlanta. How he and Carol went after the car that took Beth, how they had a close call, how Carol was hit and taken by the people to get healed.

Then Noah, the boy Daryl brought back, explained to us everything that goes on in the place. How the people are treated, how things are run. This instilled in us all a passion to get Carol and Beth back. I just wish that he had returned sooner so that the others could be here to help get them back. But it's too late and now it's just us. Last night I laid with Daryl and he explained everything to me, how he feels responsible and how he will stop at nothing to get them back.

So now we are fortifying the church to make it strong for Michonne, Carl, Judith and Gabriel who are staying behind while the rest of us go to Atlanta. We're going to get them back and then we are going to go after Abraham and the others and help them get Eugene to Washington. And then maybe, just maybe, we may have the chance of regaining a somewhat normal life.

Carl finishes hammering and I step back as Noah hobbles past us. I give him a curt nod, still mad at him for what he did to Daryl and Carol in the city. I know that he was just trying to survive, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. I grab the next plank of wood and hold it up while Carl hammers it in again. Soon enough are finished and we make our way around to the front of the church where Daryl places in the last pipe from the organ into the ground, finishing off the fortification on the outside.

We all make our way up the steps inside and I take a look around, seeing the destruction and chaos that has been left behind. Two days ago things seemed to be looking up and in the space of a few short hours things went to hell. I guess it just goes to show that in this new world, you can't let your guard down.

The ones of us who are going quickly grab our things and get ready to leave. I walk over to Judith in the box and run my fingers through her tuft of hair before placing a sweet kiss on her head. I step back and see Rick eyeing me as he walks over and he gives me a nod. I return it before making my way over to Carl and Michonne, giving them both hugs.

"Take care of yourself." Michonne says.

I smile at her and nod my head, "Yeah, you too."

I turn and see Tyreese and Daryl standing there, watching the exchange. Daryl's eyes look at me and we exchange a look of understanding. We both turn and begin to make our way down the stairs towards the truck that we're going to take to Atlanta. I toss my back into the back of the truck and Daryl does the same, "You ready for this?" He asks.

I push the bags back before facing him, "It's going to be a tough fight, but to get Beth and Carol back? Yeah, I'm ready. What about you?" I ask, looking up into his face.

He stares at me for a long moment before nodding his head, "Yeah, I'm ready."

I look at him for a moment before leaning up on my toes and placing my hands on either side of his face before leaning in and giving him a long, sweet kiss. His hands grip at my waist before I pull back and put my feet flat on the floor.

"We're getting them back."

He nods his head, "Yeah, we are."

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We are held up in an abandoned building located not too far away from Grady memorial. We all stand around and look down at the dirt diagram of the hospital that Noah drew for us. Rick kneels down on the ground and explains the plan to us, "At sundown we fire a shot into the air, we keep two of them out on patrol. Once it's dark enough that the rooftop spotter won't spot us, we go. We cut the locks on one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor. I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out."