Dear Diary | Daryl Dixon

𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗/𝚙𝚝 𝚝𝚠𝚘 - 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢

𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚁𝚈 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚁𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽/𝙿𝚃 𝚃𝚆𝙾 - 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙾𝙽𝙻𝚈 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈

When I noticed Rick hesitating, I felt a sinking feeling in my gut. Did something happen to Daryl? Did he die saving Glenn and Maggie? My brain automatically assumed the worst outcome and for a second, I thought I had lost everything once again. That same crashing feeling I felt the day my family died, it returned upon hearing Rick's hesitation.

"Rick, where's Daryl?" Anita asked again when Rick didn't say anything. Maggie simply sighed and Glenn looked angry. "Rick, I'm getting scared. Is Daryl....dead?"

"No, he's not dead." Rick said quickly, relieving Anita. Thank God for that.

"Then what is going on?" Anita asked.

"There was a disagreement between us and Daryl when we were making our way back." Rick said. "I didn't have a choice."

"What are you-" Anita began to ask but stopped when she saw Daryl walk into the cell block. She smiled when he looked at her and she made her way over to him before hugging him tight. "Thank God you're okay. I missed you."

The relief I felt knowing Daryl was alive and just being in his arms was everything. I was really scared for a moment that Daryl was gone.

"I missed you, too, Jasmine." Daryl said before they both pulled away and a small blush rose to Anita's cheeks. Anita, still wrapped in Daryl's arms, then tilted her head in confusion. "If you're okay, then what choice didn't Rick have?"

She turned her head to look at Rick who was looking at the ground. She turned her head back around when she heard footsteps approaching and in walked the same man that had kidnapped Glenn and Maggie. Merle. Anita gasped and quickly pulled her knife out, going to attack Merle when Daryl tightened his grip around her waist and pulled her back.

"Anita, no." Daryl said, confusing Anita.

I didn't understand what was going on. When I looked at Glenn, Maggie, Rick and Michonne, they weren't doing anything. They were just standing there, not trying to kill the man that kidnapped two of their own.

"She's a feisty one, ain't she?" Merle chuckled as he looked at Anita.

"What the hell is going on?" Anita asked, her knife still firmly gripped in her hand.

"Merle is Daryl's older brother." Maggie said, making Anita's eyes widen in shock. She turned her head to look at Daryl who was nodding before he slowly let go of her.

"Wha.....what? Is this the same Merle that was left in Atlanta?" Anita asked.

"I am that same Merle and I expected a warmer welcome." Merle said, making Daryl roll his eyes.

"Shut up, bro." Daryl said, making Merle chuckle sarcastically. Daryl then looked at Anita. "I couldn't leave my brother behind, Anita. He's the only family I have left. It was always Merle and I before everything. He was always there for me. I have to be there for him."

Anita turned around and looked at Merle who was smirking at her. He seemed to have some sort of metal contraption on his right arm where his hand should have been. Anita then looked back at Daryl and nodded. "Okay, I get that." Anita said.

"You what?" Glenn asked in shock. Everyone looked at Anita in shock, even Daryl.

"You do?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, he's your brother. Your only family. I would do anything to have my own family back. It wouldn't be fair of me to tell you to get rid of yours, no matter how much of an asshole he may be." Anita said, looking at Merle who shrugged and he leaned against the wall. She then turned back to look at Daryl whose face had softened. Anita didn't know it but everything she was saying was only making Daryl fall even harder for her. She understood why he wanted his brother with him when no-one else did. "But, I think for everyone's peace of mind, you should keep him locked in a cell."

"Yeah, we can do that." Daryl said as Merle scoffed. He didn't like that idea but he would pick that over being murdered by the Governor. And anyways, he had been locked up before. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to. "Thank you for understanding."

"Yeah, of course." Anita said with a small smile.

"Okay, then. Let's get you locked up." Rick said to Merle who was rolling his eyes. Glenn and Maggie eventually left together.

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The day had dragged on for a while. Nothing interesting had really happened until Rick had some sort of meltdown in front of the group of survivors that had found the prison. They were eventually chased away because they were freaked out. I know Rick is still devastated over Lori's death and him still being in charge of our group is most likely adding a lot of pressure on him. I was going to talk to him to see if he was okay but Daryl told me he wanted to talk in the tombs so I figured I would talk to Rick later that day, not knowing I wouldn't be able to get that chance.

Anita followed Daryl in the tombs. Most of the space had been cleared out apart from one muerto which Daryl quickly killed with a knife. Anita didn't know what Daryl wanted to talk about and she didn't get the chance to think of what it could be because they had already made it to an empty room. It looked like it used to be an office. There was a old table sitting in the middle and a few chairs laying about along with a bunch of paper on the floor.

"So, what's going on?" Anita asked Daryl once he had closed the door. He looked nervous to say the least. He kept looking at the ground, as if he didn't know what to say. Anita smiled and walked over to him until she was stood in front of him, making him look up at her. "Is everything okay?"