War. We're going to war.
Everyone leaves again, discussing quietly. Rick motions for Daryl and I to join him outside. We leave and Hershel does too.
"The Governor offered us a deal. Give him Michonne and he'll leave us alone," he says. "No one else knows."
"You gonna tell 'em?" Daryl asks.
"Not till after. It has to be today, and it has to be quiet," Rick says.
"You gotta plan?" he asks.
"We tell her we need to talk. Away from the group."
"This just ain't us man."
"No. No, it isn't," Hershel agrees, leaving.
"We do this, we avoid a fight. No one else dies," Rick says.
"A'ight," Daryl says. I say nothing.
Rick nods. "I have to go talk to someone." He turns and leaves.
"You're really ok with this?" I ask.
"Yeah. It's for the best," he says.
I shake my head. "It doesn't seem to me like the Governor will actually leave us alone."
Daryl turns, placing his fingers under my chin and tilting my head so I'm looking at him. "We have to try. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he did somethin' to you and I couldn't stop it. What if the next time he gets his hands on you it's your throat that gets slit, not your arm?"
"It just feels wrong," I say.
"If givin' up Michonne means that you stay safe, with me, I'll do it," he whispers, pressing his lips to mine.
I pull away, placing a finger on his bottom lip to stop him. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."
"I know. I'm not sayin' I like it either," he replies.
He walks away, and I stay outside keeping watch. After a little while, Daryl, Glenn, Carl, Michonne, and Maggie go out into the field, herding some walkers away and slaughtering them. I pull out my knife and stab some near the gate, helping out.
Rick comes up behind me.
"Hey Hope," he says.
"Hey." I smile.
We stand silent for a bit, watching the others. They lay down spike strips on the road, and I nod thoughtfully.
"That's smart," I say.
"It is," Rick says. "We have a good group here."
Glenn and Daryl climb into the truck bed and drive up to the gate. Rick opens the gate, and they jump out.
"Good idea. The spike strips," I say.
"It was Michonne's idea," Daryl says, eyeing Rick.
"We don't have to win, we just have to make getting at us more trouble than it's worth," Michonne says proudly.
"Any of you seen Merle?" Daryl asks.
"I saw him go inside the prison. Maybe the boiler room," Rick says.
Daryl nods and takes off in a quick jog. I watch him leave.
Hershel and I go inside.
"I found a bible, thought you might like to read some scripture with me," he suggests.
"That'd be nice," I say as we sit down.
He opens the book and finds a passage, and he begins reading. I listen intently, focusing on God's word.
YOU ARE READING
Daryl's Angel (Book One in the Apocalypse Angel Trilogy)
Fanfic"Why're you bein' so nice to me?" "I would want the same if I were you." Hope Starling was alone when the dead started rising. She had always been alone, with parents that had disowned her and no friends to help her. Inside the department store in...
