Once A Dixon, Always A Dixon (Daryl Dixon)

A New Beginning

Setting: Alexandria, Season Five

*Nico's POV*

We all stand in front of the gate, waiting for something to happen. Aaron helps Eric walk forward as the gate opens. 

A trash can falls over, causing everyone to jump and hold up their weapons. A possum appears and Daryl shoots it. He holds it up. 

A man with curly, black hair appears at the gate. 

"We brought dinner," Daryl says. 

"It's okay," Aaron says to the man. "Come on in, guys." We enter Alexandria, our hopes sky-high. Aaron closes the gate behind us. 

"Before we take this any further, I need you all to turn in your weapons," the black-haired man says. "Stay, you hand them over."

"We don't know if we want to stay," Rick says. 

"It's fine, Nicholas," Aaron says. I guess this guy has a name now. 

"If we were gonna use them, we would have started already," Rick points out. Well, he's not wrong. 

"Let them talk to Deanna first," Aaron says. 

"Who's Deanna?" Abraham asks. 

"She knows everything you'd want to know about this place," Aaron explains. "Rick, why don't you start?"

Outside the gates, a walker snarls. 

"Sasha," Rick says. Sasha turns around and guns the walker down. 

"It's a good thing we're here," Rick says. 

---

After a few minutes, I find Sebastian and I sitting in a living room facing a nice-looking woman.

"Hello," she greets me. "I'm Deanna Monroe."

"Nico Dixon," I say. "This is Sebastian."

"You mind if I film this?" Deanna asks. 

"What?" I ask.

"Do you mind if I film our talk?" Deanna clarifies. 

"Go ahead," I say. Deanna walks behind a couch and preps a video camera. 

"Why film this?" I ask. 

"We're about transparency here," Deanna explains. "Please. How long have you been out there?"

"Since the beginning," I answer. 

"How did you all find each other? Did you know each other before or...?"

"We didn't know each other before." 

"I was a congressperson," Deanna says. "Ohio, 15th district. You?"

"I don't think it matters anymore," I say. 

"Oh, I know it does." Deanna says. 

"What is this place?" I question. 

"This is the start of sustainability," Deanna explains. "That's what the brochures we found say. This was a planned community with it's own solar grid, cisterns, eco-based sewage filtration. Starting in the low 800,000s... if there is such a thing. And they sold them all."

"How did you end up here?" I ask.

"Well, my family and I were trying to get back to Ohio so I could help my district manage the crisis," Deanna says. "And... the army stopped us on a back road and directed us here. They were supposed to come later. They didn't. But there were supplies here and we made the best of it."