Angel

Chapter Twenty - Six: Daryl & Angel

Daryl

I was outside having my first smoke in days. Damn, that felt so fuckin' good. Angel was so understanding about this even after I was such a dick to her. She's in there working, and I'm just outside enjoying my cigarette. That's not how I usually work, but I needed this. I really did.

The area was clear of walkers, so I was leaning against the brick building with my eyes closed enjoying the smoke, when I heard a crash from inside. I was about to ask Angel if she was okay when a guy's voice demand her to not move, or he'd blast her head off.

That's when I dropped the cigarette, picked up my crossbow that was next to me, and silently made my way to the doorway. They never heard me coming, until I threatened to put a bolt in him. I could see figures in the dark, but not faces since they were looking at Angel.

That's when everything changed.

Michonne recognized me before I did her or Rick. I didn't know what to say after she said my name and then did Rick. I was in shock as she pulled me into a hug with Rick joining in. They were my family. The family I was sure I had lost. Once I heard Michonne start to cry, I just lost it. Then Rick joined in. They were alive. That moment was so overwhelming I forgot all else except that I had found them. After all these months where I thought they had all died...Rick and Michonne were alive.

But did anyone else survive?

When I asked, Rick he told me his kids did along with Maggie, Rosita, Aaron, and Carol. That meant we had lost Tara, Father Gabriel, Morgan, Enid, and maybe Aaron's partner, Eric. I doubted any of the original Alexandrians survived.

I felt like I was in a fog. It was still unreal that they were standing in front of me. Then I heard Angel ask me what was going on. Even though I had come in to save her, I had completely forgotten about her. How could I have done that?

When Rick asked me who she was, there was a bit of an attitude in this voice. Since she was with me, he should trust that she's okay. I don't know what was up with that, but Angel sure picked up on it by the look she gave me.

At Michonne's suggestion, we headed inside the store. The storage room was quite dark making it weird to talk in.

"How did you know we were in the back room?" I asked as we all stood together.

"We had already cleared the store and heard the vehicles pass by and pull in out back. When you went into the back room we waited a few minutes before bursting in," Rick explained.

"Glad you didn't go in shooting."

"Me too," piped in Angel.

Rick looked at Angel and then me. "So, who is she?"

Really, Rick? Again?

"We hooked up a couple months back when she saved my ass. Been together ever since. This is Ang...I mean...Jessie. " I don't know why that got me an evil glare from her, but it did.

"Well I'm Michonne, and this is Rick. We've known Daryl a long time. So Daryl needed his ass saved again? I've been doing that for years. " she said with a cheeky grin.

Great, Michonne was making me look like shit in front of Angel. I knew she was teasing me, but still.

"Yeah, I found him stabbed and bleeding out in some old shack in the woods. I sewed him up and helped him get better. And as he said, we've been together ever since. It's hard to find people you can trust these days. Daryl's a good one."