Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

99

Hey guys, here's another update! I hope you enjoy it! Sorry it was a really tough one for me to write so it took a few days for me to get it out. 

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Jo

I circled the perimeter twice before I was satisfied we were safe. Now that the adrenaline was burning off I was starting to feel sore and achy. My arm felt like it was on fire and my head was pounding from headbutting that jerk earlier. I reached up to rub my temples and paused, looking down at my hands. I wrinkled my nose and scrubbed them off on my jeans. 

I ended up back at the main gate. Maggie and Deanna were there, standing at the bars staring out at the empty road and speaking quietly together. I didn't feel like talking so I moved to the lookout platform. I climbed up the ladder. I had never been on gate duty so I had never been up here before. I stepped up the the fence and rested my elbows on top of it, clasping my hands together. 

I tried to think how much time had passed. I glanced up at the sun but I hadn't paid enough attention to it when I left the group at the side of the road. Either way it would be hours before Daryl, Abraham and Sasha were back. They had to go twenty miles at the speed of the horde which at best would be five miles an hour. Four hours plus the drive time back and assuming there was no trouble. I rubbed at my eyes, it had been a long day. 

The look out platform gave me a clear view down the road and of the surrounding tree lines. It was a beautiful day, I realized, standing up there with the sun beating down on me. I turned my face to the sun and closed my eyes, letting it warm my skin. It took me a second to realize my hands were trembling. I opened my eyes and looked down at them. I tried not to think about what could have happened if Morgan and I hadn't come back when we did. In dealing with the issue in the quarry we had left Alexandria vulnerable leaving hardly any fighters behind to defend our home. It was pretty obvious to me those men had been watching and waiting for a chance like this. 

Movement in the woods below me drew me out of my thoughts. I drew my gun. I clicked off safety but kept it pointed down just in case. I sucked in a breath and waited, anticipating more of those people to appear out of the woods and attack us. It wasn't another enemy however, Michonne and Heath stumbled out of the woods, jogging towards the main gate. I looked down where Maggie and Deanna stood still engrossed in their conversation.

"Open the gate," I called down to them. My voice was hoarse and I had to clear my throat and repeat myself before they heard me. Maggie jerked the gate open as I hurried down the ladder. I jogged over to where Michonne and Maggie were embracing. I nodded to Michonne so she would know I was happy to see her.

"What's going on?" I breathed.

Michonne quickly explained everything that happened with her and Glenn in the woods. How Rick had sent them off with the people from Alexandria while Rick went off alone to use the RV to draw the herd back to Sasha, Abraham and Daryl. How they had fought to get back here ahead of the herd. How they had lost people. Deanna sucked in a breath and looked a little ill. 

"Michonne," Maggie said firmly, drawing Michonne's attention to her. "Where's Glenn?"  

Michonne's face fell and she bit her lip nervously. "The town was overrun, Glenn split off with Nicholas. He had this idea that if he lit a fire it would stop the walkers from coming here. I tried to go instead...I wanted to," Michonne mashed her lips into a grim line and I could tell she truly believed she should have been the one to go. She looked away from Maggie, as though she couldn't look her in the eyes when she spoke the next  piece. "The fire never got lit. We had to keep going. I'm so sorry," Michonne said taking Maggie's hand. "He said if he got stuck he would find a way to send a signal."