[Finished] Living Among the Dead

35. Sing me a Song

We come out from behind the crates we are hidden in once Negan's men get back in the front of their vehicle and start driving once more.
I watch curiously as Jesus starts dumping maple syrup out the back of the truck as we make our way to what we're hoping is the Savior's Compound. The one where Daryl is being kept. When he looks over at Carl and I both staring at him, he explains, "Making a trail."
"Smart." I comment.
"I think we're close. We should bail out, follow the rest of the way, see what we can see."
"I, uh... How?" Carl asks, sounding shocked.
"It isn't usually the fall that gets us. It's trying to fight it. Run with it or roll with it. The truck's going slow enough. We'll be in the blind spot. We can race behind one of the other cars."
"I-I-If If I screw up and we get caught-"
"It'll be fine. We just got to go now."
"Okay. Show me first." Jesus looks at me, and I wave in front of me so as to say, go ahead.
I watch as Jesus jumps into a perfect roll landing in a crouching position hidden behind some cars.
"I'll be right behind you," Carl assures me as I look back at him.
"Okay." I say, then follow Jesus's lead, rolling and although the gravel doesn't feel pleasant by any means, I don't get hurt.
When I look to the truck, Carl is waving.
"Fuck," I mumble as I hear Jesus chuckle.
"'Show me first'" I look to see that he looks amused.
"Let's go, before the dumbass get's himself killed," I suggest and Jesus nods, and we rush forward to follow.
As we move we can hear the gunfire, and my heart clenches tight, "Damn it, I do not want to tell Mason his best friend got himself killed."
"Mason's your son?" Jesus asks.
I glance at him, "Yeah. He's my son. He isn't much younger than Carl."
"Did you know Rick before all this?"
I shake my head, "No, I was married and living in LA, when everything fell we started moving towards Atlanta, there was a rumor, that Atlanta was safe."
"Daryl lived in LA?"
I shake my head, "Daryl and I didn't meet until after I'd lost my two year old daughter... he'd saved my husbands life while I had been out scavenging. And then he helped me through the deaths of both Tyler and my younger son... I fell for him when our old home fell, and the two of us were on our own.

We end up on the roof of a van that Negan and Carl are in, and when I see Daryl approaching it, I have to remind myself that I need to stay quiet.
"Daryl!" I hear Negan call. "You seem worried, so I'm taking the kid home."
"If you do anything to him-" his voice. I haven't heard his voice in so long... Jesus nudges me as I hear Negan interrupt Daryl.
"Dwight! Daryl needs a time-out. Put him back in his box for a while."
We get off the roof as quietly and stealthily as possible. "We breaking him out?" Jesus whispers as we hide.
"Please," I whisper back.

[A.N.] So Imagine how good Negan is with kids, right? (Yes, I know he's an evil son of a bitch; I won't dispute that) There's a newborn in Alexandria! A NEWBORN LITTLE GIRL FOR HIM TO COO AT!!! He's probably got Judith bouncing on his knee while Hope is laying nustled in his arms all warm and snug while Mason and Carl glare at Negan. The idea melts my ever loving heart! Also, Daryl got to see Hope last chapter, he knows she's been born and is alive and mostly well. And then, we all know he saw Jesus getting off the truck, so now he knows Anne is there to help him escape!