The Greatest Sacrifice - Daryl Dixon

A Partner In Crime

Ally was on her feet after a few days even if only for short periods at a time. The metal brace did well to hold her injured shoulder but it rubbed at her skin and left welts that soon began to bleed with constant wear. Doctor Carson deemed her well enough to travel back to Alexandria where she hoped that her presence alone would ward off her father at least for now and until she was stronger. Rick had come to collect her and she had hugged Doctor Carson tight before she had gotten into the car and buckled in ready to head off to her new home. “I never got to thank you, that night I could have lost everyone and then you showed up and now everyone is alive and it's all thanks to you” he said offering his hand for her to shake which she did, only feeling a little awkward at the formal gesture. The Alexandria Safe Zone was beautiful, big homes and manicured lawn like a proper gated community. Rick led her to his own home where everyone was waiting for her and she knew why. As Negan’s daughter she knew secrets exclusive to the Sanctuary’s anonymity and survival, she knew the location of the safe houses and the outposts and she knew how to bring him down. The first man she saw was the one called Daryl, the one Doctor Carson had said gave her four blood transfusions and it was him that she had to thank for even being here at all. “I know that you all wish to go to war with the saviours and I get that but I suggest you wait. I know the location of every safehouse, every outpost and every cache hidden in the woods and ground. All I'm asking is you give me some time to map this all out and help you plan for it. A lot of the outer outposts won't have even heard about my father's falling out with me, I could walk right in and take them out before anyone even knew the better of it” she said in a voice that suggested she was used to speaking to large groups persuasively. “Why would you do this for us? For anyone? You would have had everything you could have wanted and you throw it away for what? Hunger and bad language?” Carol asked now stepping into her Den Mother role, “My mother Lucille would have never allowed him to do this, I'd heard whispers of what he'd done but I was never sure until I came with him that night and I saw him for what he truly was, a monster. It was up to me as the last of his family to step in and stop him in the only way I could think of at the time” Ally answered sincerely and it seemed to satisfy Carol's curiosity and everyone else's. A young boy whom she had been told was Rick's son Carl came in then holding a child who could only be the lovely Judith and Ally felt her heart melt at the sight of her chubby cheeks and sweet gold curls. Carl saw her watching and stepped closer, “Do ya wanna hold her?” Carl offered and Ally nodded, she adored babies which was a fact made very clear the instant Carl placed Judith in Ally's arms. She shifted Judith onto her strong arm side and rocked her gently until she settled her little head into Ally's shoulder and went to sleep which was a miracle considering Ally was a stranger. “Looks like you'll be settling in well enough” Aaron said with a wry smile as he came in clutching his boyfriend's hand. All was well until they heard a loud crashing and banging on the gate, they went outside and hurried to the gate with Judith now safely back in Carl's arms. It was one of Negan’s favourite inner crew, the snarky Arat. Negan had sent her to see if Ally had lived and if she was with the group at their home. Fury overtook Ally as she went past Rick and unclipped his silenced gun from its holster before aiming it at the shadow of her enemy though the closed gate. Before anyone could stop her, Arat was dead and Ally handed back the gun. She opened the gate and saw the body with it's clean head shot and began to search it for anything valuable, nothing. A gun with a full clip and two knives were all that they kept and then Arat was shoved back into her car. “I need to make out it was an accident, I'll need a ride back” she said gently massaging her sore shoulder which had been strained during the whole shoving Arat back in the car ordeal. Daryl volunteered to ride behind and he saw that not only was Ally a damn good shot but she was an artist too. The car crash couldn't have been more realistic is she tried, even the best of detectives wouldn't have been able to see it had been faked. When Ally was done she waved to Daryl who came over on his motorbike, “Let's get out of here” she said as she climbed on and wrapped her arms around his waist to hold on, for a moment all he could picture was Beth and how she had once wrapped her arms around him the same way for comfort but this woman didn't need comfort, she had her vengeance and she was pleased. Daryl was pleased that Ally had the capacity of knowing when to do something for the good of the many, killing Arat might have also been personal but if the woman had reported back to Negan of Ally's whereabouts their whole operation would have been blown before it had even began. Ally leant against Daryl's back and the tantalising scent of him found it's ways into her nose. Cigarettes, motor oil and the forest all in one intoxicating blend as if mixed by a master perfume creator. She'd not had many good experiences with men or women, every encounter had been on the sly and rushed in case her father burst in at any moment. She wondered if now she might have that chance, to be human instead of a trophy doll. She wasn't all just good looks as she had demonstrated to the people of Alexandria, she had trained for several hours a day with her father's best men and women to master all the weapons she could get her hands on. What had infuriated Ally was that night she had intervened, she had seen Arat leave her father's room with the knife that her mother had given her father strapped to her leg. Now it was with Ally where it rightfully belonged and would remain.