Daryl Dixon's Family

Chapter 39

~~~Third persons view~~~

After the governors deadly assault on the prison that forced the survivors to scatter, Michonne reconnoiters the prison for survivors. She discovers the reanimated head of her friend, Hershel and stabs it to put him out of his torment. She discovers a trail of footprints leading away from the prison. To protect herself, she slices off the arms and jaws of two walkers, leading them as pets to help mask her presence from other walkers, however this appears to draw more walkers towards her.

While taking shelter in a car overnight, she dreams of her young son, her boyfriend Mike and his friend Terry before the apocalypse, but the dream turns into a nightmare when Mike and Terry appear like her walker pets. She continues onward, but on observing a walker that looks similar to herself, suddenly comes to the realization that her mindless walking is for naught; she slaughters the walkers that surround her and her pets, and vows to Mike that she now has a purpose in life. She sets off to follow the trail of footprints.

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Meanwhile, Carl and Rick whose footprints Michonne is following, work their way from the prison, Rick slowing them down due to injuries he got from the attack. They stop at a diner to find food; a lone walker is barricaded behind furniture and Rick wants to kill it using an axe but is too weak, forcing Carl to kill it with his gun. Later, Carl helps his father into an abandoned house, and Rick falls unconscious. Carl shouts at him to revive him, attracting nearby walkers. Carl is able to dispatch them, and when he returns, yells at Rick, blaming him for abandoning his leadership role, hurting himself, his mother Lori and his newborn sibling Judith, and the others of his group at the prison. Later, Carl goes to search for supplies in a nearby house. He nearly is bitten by a walker trapped behind one door, but is able to escape when the walker pulls off his boot. He recovers additional food and supplies, and returns to the house where Rick is.

He sees Rick crawling towards him and moaning, and fearing his father has become a walker, turns his gun on him. Rick calls out Carl's name, proving he is still alive. Rick sees what Carl has done to protect and sustain them, and apologizes for his behavior, and believes Carl is now a man.

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Michonne eventually catches up to the pair and after observing through a window that they are alive and well, begins to cry tears of joy. As Rick and Carl bond over a meal, there is a knock at the door. Rick goes to look through the peephole, and on seeing Michonne, he laughs and tells Carl, "It's for you."

~~~Meanwhile~~~

Beth and Daryl are sitting around a campfire, having fled the prison. Beth insists that they must not be the only survivors of the governor's attack and demands Daryl help her look for the others. She then goes off on her own into the forest, with Daryl following in slow pursuit. They find some footprints, but also human blood and signs of a walker attack, and Beth is nearly killed by a walker who emerges from the trees.

Eventually, the pair discover and kill several walkers feasting on human remains by some railroad tracks. Beth spots a small shoe, assuming it is young Luke and Molly amidst the remains and breaks down crying.

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Lizzie and her sister Mika are walking along in the woods, behind Tyreese. As night falls, they find a clearing to relax in. Tyreese suddenly hears something in the woods, but is relieved to see that it was Crystal and Ava with the youngest Grimes, After Crystal and Ava are settled Ava starts to feed Judith, Crystal besides her, while Lizzie sits on a nearby log, home to three baby bunnies. She quietly removes her knife and kills all three of them. The group is forced to flee after hearing walkers nearby.

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The next morning the group finds a grapevine and begin picking the grapes. Mika is startled by a noise in the bush and runs off as Ava is changing Judith's diaper. Ava gives Judith to Crystal so she, Tyresse and Lizzie give chase, and find Mika several minutes later, hiding behind a tree. As the group recollects themselves, they hear screaming in the distance. Tyreese and Ava leave, saying they have to go investigate and they should keep an eye on a crying Judith. Before leaving Ava quietly tells Crystal to keep a very close eye on Lizzie, which Crystal agrees. Lizzie tries to cover Judith's mouth to muffle her cries which doesn't work so she begins to slide her hand up over the baby's nose as well, but not for long as Judith is then quickly put into the protective arms of Crystal, who hushes the baby.

Tyreese and Ava come upon a walker attack by a set of railroad tracks. Two men, are fighting off a group of walkers. Tyreese and Ava kill the walkers but is unable to prevent both men being bitten.

They then hear Crystals handgun fire off in the distance. As Ava runs off with Tyreese behind her. Once the two get there, the five of them, along with Carol walk out of the bush. Tyreese welcomes her back, unaware of her exile from Rick.

Before he dies, the older man (who later attacks Daryl and Beth as a walker), tells Tyreese about a sanctuary up the tracks. The group follow the track, and come upon a sign promising 'community for all' at a nearby place of safety.

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Ava's P. O. V

"Ava" I hear Crystal whisper to me as our little group walk up the tracks "what is it Cris?" I ask her while glancing away from the others in front of me and are adjusting Judith "we gotta keep an eye on Lizzie" I gave her a confused look "just, please trust me Ava" "ok." "Do you think Hunter and Daryl are ok?" She asked me worriedly "Hunter I know is, I made sure he was on the bus, but Daryl I didn't see him since we told each other to be safe before the governor attacked" I say sadly thinking bout Daryl made me sad he wasn't here with me, but I know he's out there somewhere looking for me and Hunter, I just know it. "How's your thigh Ava?" I heard Carol ask as she had slowed down to be, beside me "it's akay still sore, but it's much better than what it was, thank you Carol" she smiled back at me "your welcome"

~~~Third persons view~~~

Maggie, Bob and Sasha are in the woods by a quarry. Maggie sharpens her knife on a rock, while Sasha bandages Bob's arm. Sasha tells Maggie they should camp there for the night. Maggie however sets off in search of Glenn, reluctantly followed by Bob and Sasha. Sasha is furious at what she sees as a waste of time; Bob, however, argues that the search gives their lives a purpose beyond mere survival. While walking, they come across the prison bus, which is filled with walkers. Maggie insists on checking to see if Glenn is inside. After Bob says they'll do it together, and Sasha reluctantly agrees, Sasha opens the emergency door with the intention of allowing one walker to exit at a time.

Eventually, the press of walkers trying to exit the bus proves too much, and Sasha can no longer hold the door. As the walkers attack, forcing Bob and Sasha defend themselves. Maggie initially seems dazed, and is nearly killed by a walker before Bob intervenes. She then becomes enraged and begins to kill the walkers, repeatedly smashing a female walker's head into the bus before stabbing it. Maggie then goes onto the bus to see if Glenn is inside. After killing a walker that had been stuck inside, she sits down and begins to cry.

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After awakening on a prison walkway that was destroyed by the tank, Glenn calls for Maggie. Despite his initial despair, he collects some clothes and supplies, including Bob's bottle of brandy, dons riot gear, and then pushes his way through the walkers.

After escaping the crush, he sees Tara who has locked herself behind a fence. Glenn joins her and, after checking to see that her weapon was not fired during the attack on the prison, tells her they should go. Tara refuses, saying that she joined the prison attack and is thus responsible for its outcome. However, Glenn insists he needs her help. Glenn grabs Bob's bottle of brandy and, using it to create a Molotov cocktail, throws it to ignite a car. While the walkers are distracted by the fire, Glenn and Tara escape the prison and reach the road near to the prison bus.

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Tara describes seeing her sister Lilly being swarmed by walkers on the field outside the prison, and reveals Hershel's death to Glenn. She tells him 'Brain' (the governor) had told her the prison group were bad people. She'd believed him but sees now that wasn't true, and she cannot understand why Glenn would want her help. Glenn explains that he needs to find Maggie. After a small group of walkers attacks, Glenn collapses, wheezing, leaving Tara to tackle a walker on her own. She looks up to see a military truck has pulled up. Tara yells at the truck and three people climb out: Sgt. Abraham Ford, Dr. Eugene Porter, and Rosita Espinosa. Abraham then says to Tara, "You got a damn mouth on you, you know that? What else you got?"

This was basically just a filler chapter, next one will be better, promise!

MrzReedusX