A Part Of You I'd Never Seen (Daryl Dixon/TWD)

Chapter 22: The Day Will Come When You Won't Be

"We'll take your guns, to start," the man smiled as if he were asking something of a friend. I raised my gun higher to point at his head, my eyes darting around me to see my friends being stripped of their weapons. He put his hands on his hips and leaned forward, acknowledging me. "We'll take your guns," he whispered much more menacingly before he stalked toward Carl. 

My eyes landed on Eugene, beaten bloody and kneeling next to our RV parked by the many cars of the Saviors. Two men flanked me, grabbed my gun from my hands and ripped my bow and arrows off my back. One of them went for my machete on my belt, his hands lingering on my waist as he leaned into my body. I shoved away and the man smiled, sauntering away with my weapons. 

"Alright," The man from before came back to stand in front of us, smiling sadistically again. "Let's get her down and get you guys on your knees. Time for you to meet the man." I turned to see men coming toward us, going to grab Maggie off her stretcher and I lunged, throwing my arms over her.

"Don't touch her," I growled, and Abraham intervened, stepping between us. 

"We've got her," he said lowly.

The main guy brushed us off, "Sure, sure. Whatever." The henchmen backed off, and I gently wrapped my arms around Maggie's back to help her sit up. Abraham and Rick set the board down, and Abe aided me in helping her stand. I wrapped her arm around my shoulders and hesitantly, we each knelt in a line facing the bright lights. I kept Maggie close to me, Abe on my other side, followed by a still standing Rick, kneeling Sasha, Aaron, and Carl. The tall, creepy, man grabbed Eugene and dragged him to kneel next to Carl. 

"I'm going to need you on your knees," the man whispered to Rick. His eyes were watery as he slowly knelt down, his red eyes looking around. "Dwight!" The man called. 

My emotions fumed as I recalled that name. "Yeah," a blonde, scraggly looking man with half a burnt face stepped forward. I knew him. Dwight. He was the one that Daryl had met in the Burnt Forest, the one that killed Denise. My blood boiled as we locked eyes, and a look crossed his face. A smirk, almost. "Chop, chop," the creep clapped his hands, and Dwight made his way over to a large van, opening the back doors. 

"Come on," Dwight threatened, pulling on someone in the back of the van, "You've got people to meet."

My face drained of color as he dragged a pale, bloody Daryl from the dusty car. Our eyes locked, tears filling my eyes as I realized he must have been injured badly. "Daryl," I cried, and his body tensed as he saw me on my knees. I reached forward, falling onto my hands as he was pushed to the ground just feet away from me. "No," I whispered, my eyes unable to leave his. My hair was pulled hard from behind, a random Savior forcing me to kneel back. I whimpered, and noticed Daryl almost lunge for me, but held himself back. Maggie laid her hand on my arm, squeezing it as I looked at the man I loved. 

I felt like I was in a trance, time slowed around me as I realized that we wouldn't all be making it out of here alive. There was no way we wouldn't all go free, happily. That's just not how the world works. I broke down into tears, heaving heavy sobs. I looked around at my family. Who would it be? Who was I losing tonight? "Please, no," I sobbed, noticing that Dwight had pulled Michonne and Rosita out of the van, too. "No," I cried as the last person was dragged to sit at the end of the row. 

"Maggie?" Glenn said in realization, taking in his wife's broken form in front of him. He crawled toward her on his hands on knees, looking from her to me. His head hung as he cried, and he reached out toward Maggie. 

"On your knees!" Dwight harshly pulled him to lean back, and Glenn shook his sweaty hair as he cried. 

This wasn't happening. I felt sick as my eyes traveled to Daryl again to see he was already watching me. He reached his hand up to put against his chest, his heart, and I did the same. He sent me a subtle nod, and I forced a sad smile.