Complicated ✔

Ch. 117 - Gotta Protect Home

KATHRYN'S POV

My grip on Daryl only tightened when I heard that. Our home was at risk, and we still had so many following us. "What do we do," I said panicked, glancing from the back of Daryl's head and over to the car that held Abraham and Sasha. I watched as Abraham lifted up his hand holding their walkie before I heard his voice over ours. "Towards you," he asked as I felt my heart stop. "We ran ahead," Dad's voice replied, "there's a horn or something. Loud, coming from the east, and it's not stopping. I watched as Daryl moved his hand up to where he had our walkie before he spoke up.

"I'm gonna gas it up," he said, "turn back. Me and Kat, we'll come help you out." "We've got it," Dad said quickly, "you two keep going. We need you to help draw the rest of them away." "They're going to need our help," Daryl said back. I could feel the tension in Daryl's body. We both wanted to get back to the others and help out. "Gotta keep the herd moving," came Dad's reply. "Not if it's going down we don't," Daryl shot back. "Listen Daryl," Dad said, "the rest of that herd turns back, the bad back there get's worse. I'm heading back with some of the others, to help Alexandria and protect Carl and Judy. Daryl I need you to keep Kathryn safe."

Daryl went silent, his voice seemingly gone after Dad said that. I watched as he glanced back at me over his shoulder, his hand still holding the walkie but not pressing any buttons. I could see it in his blue eyes, the battle going on in there on whether to stay out of it and keep me safe, or to go and risk loosing me and possibly everyone else at Alexandria. "Daryl," came Dad's voice, snapping him out of it. "Yeah I heard you," he finally said, lowering his hand back to the handlebar of the bike.

We rode on, I don't know how far, but I could tell after what Dad said that Daryl had been thinking hard about something. "What are you thinking," I asked in a whisper, just loud enough for him to hear but he didn't respond. Instead, he pulled up closer to the car we were riding with and called out. "Hey," he shouted out to get Abraham and Sasha's attention, "we gone 5 miles out yet?" "Give or take some yardage," Abraham said as he looked over at us, "you got a reason for asking?" "Next intersection we're gonna spin around and turn back," Daryl shouted out to him, glancing towards the car then back towards the road.

DARYL'S POV

"The plan is to go 15 more," Kat said from behind me. I glanced back at her before looking to Sasha and Abraham as they both looked at me like I was crazy. "Yeah," I said, "I'm gonna change that, 5's gonna have to work." "The magic number is 20," Abraham said, "that's the mission." "Daryl," I said lifing a hand up to grip his arm, "I want to get back faster too. But you heard Dad, we turn back too soon and everything goes to hell." "That's making sure they're off munching on raccoons instead of humans," Abraham cut in. "If you want to go," Sasha said looking over at me, "we can't stop you. But we need you. Without you they could stop us."

I thought for a moment, glancing back at Kat every few seconds before glancing to Sasha and Abraham. "Nah," I said shaking my head, "I got faith in you. Kat hang on." I felt her arms wrap tighter around me as I revved up the engine, the sound of Sasha and Abraham calling after me as we pulled away from them. Seeing the sign for Alexandria before we left them, that had been my deciding point. That was our home now, for all of us. It was a place for Lil Ass-Kicker to grow up away from the geeks. And maybe, one day a place for me and Kat to raise a family, if she wants one.

Alexandria was more than just a gated community that would've been sold off to the ones who could afford it, people who weren't like me. It was more than a small safe-haven that we'd managed to find that held another relative for Kat inside. It was home. It was our home, just like the prison and farm had been. And each time we had a home like that, we protected it with everything we had. No point in stopping that cycle now. "We're gonna get back there," I said to Kat over the whistle of the wind, "we're gonna get back there and protect what's ours. We're gonna protect our home."

Okay so I have to say... I LOVE that tiger 🐯. Lol and I'm anxious to see what will happen this Sunday. On another note, I wrote a couple updates back that I started watching Doctor Who...guess who I saw in a Christmas special for the show. I saw the Governor! David Morrissey was one of the main characters for that episode. I got way too excited for that lol. Anyway I know y'all don't care so I'll shut up now. See y'all next week for the next update. ✌
- Kenz