Light | TWD | Daryl Dixon Fanfiction

050

Jesus had told them to head to Hilltop. Once Negan knew the two of them were gone, the first place they'd search would be Alexandria. He had caught them up to date as quickly as he could: Maggie was basically in charge of Alexandria now and Negan thought she had died not too soon after he had killed Glenn; a smart move on Maggie's part. The rest of the group was in Alexandria, still under the iron thumb of Negan.

She wasn't sure how to feel as the gate opened to Hilltop. The amount of pity written on people's faces was apparent, and she was halfway off the bike before Daryl turned off the ignition.

"You can clean up. Go get some new-"

"Are they here?" Juliana interjected, cutting Jesus off.

His head tilted slightly at her question, "Who? The group is-"

"No." she started again, "Glenn. Abe. Are they here?"

Jesus looked in between Juliana and Daryl, nodding slowly, "Yeah. Over there." He motioned to an area behind a shed, tucked back against the far side of the perimeter.

Without a second thought, Juliana started off in that direction, leaving Daryl behind her. Jesus followed after her, trying to reach out only to have her move away from him or yank her arm out of his grasp, determined to see them.

"Jules, come on, you need to stop." He pleaded with her.

Not batting an eye, Juliana continued and eventually Jesus relented, wandering back down to where Daryl stood.

Juliana didn't expect to find much there, and as she rounded the corner behind the shed her heart fell into the bottom of her stomach. Two makeshift crosses were at the head of two raised mounds. Glenn and Abe's names were etched into them and each laid slightly askew. She slowed her pace, treading carefully around to the front of their graves.

"Jules?"

Maggie's voice behind her caused her to jump. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at the woman and promptly burst into sobs; the kind that racked your body and made it hard to breathe. She fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands as she sobbed. Maggie was quick to rush over, wrapping her arms around Juliana.

"I-I couldn't save them." She choked out, gasping for breath, "Beth. Glenn. I promised."

Maggie was quiet, and instead just tightened her grip around Juliana. The two women sat together for awhile before Maggie urged Juliana up, telling her she should clean up and take care of herself. She led Juliana inside the large plantation house, lending her some of her own clothes and let her be.

Stripping out of the dingy sweat pants and sweatshirt was like shedding her skin. She cleaned herself up the best she could, and as she turned she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her face had a still fairly obvious mark and bruising from where Negan had smacked her. Her lips were cracked and caked in some spots with dried blood. The bags under her eyes were dark and heavy, off set by her blood shot eyes. She looked as if the life had been sucked out of her. She looked like a walker.

A soft knocking at the door made her head turn, breaking her out of her thoughts. Juliana crossed the room to the door and opened it slowly, only to see Daryl standing on the opposite side.

The two of them didn't need to say anything as he stepped inside, and she shut the door behind him.

An awkward silence flittered between them. Juliana's lips parted slightly, trying to speak but no words came out. All this time, he had just been staring at her.

"I shoulda protected ya." He grumbled.

"What?"

"It ain't supposed tah go like this. This shit. You. I was never 'pose to feel like..this."

"Daryl.."

"No. I'm 'pose to be tha' one to protect ya' and I fuckin' failed. I ain't nobody. Couldn't protect ya-or Glenn-or-"

Juliana cut him off, "Stop. Stop that ..fuckin' bullshit. You ain't the only one who thinks they failed. And, Jesus, Daryl. I don't need nobody to save me. I-"

He stepped forwards in a few strides, holding her face in between his hands. She had cringed slightly as his hands came up to her face, still reeling from the abuse from being at The Sanctuary. He lighted his grip, calloused finger tips gently running around every bruise and scar on her face.

"But you saved me," he mumbled, "And I..it's always been you, Jules. Fuck. Since the fuckin' moment I met ya' everything has been for ya'. Yer the only thing that's good."

Her bottom lip quivered at his admission, and to cover it up she wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head into his chest. As much as she wanted to stayed the way they were forever, her heart sunk knowing that the good people always die.