GIVEN TO FLY [Daryl Dixon]

XX.

CHAPTER TWENTY
[ pity ]

It takes him ten minutes to start regretting his decision. Ten minutes of walking, of hearing Merle's grating voice nagging him, of sweating in the Georgia sun with no one to talk to about anything real or to make him laugh, to realize that he was wrong. He should never have left. He should've stayed, like Misty asked.

Misty. He can still see that look in her eye. The anger, the betrayal. He'd wanted to say something, wanted to tell her, no, you don't understand, I want to stay. I don't want to leave you, or the others, this entire little family where I finally feel like I belong, but I can't leave him, it wouldn't be right. But he hadn't said that. He hadn't tried his hardest to make her understand, because he couldn't stand how she was looking at him. Like he'd stabbed her through the heart.

Ten minutes in, and he misses them. Misses her. He loves being out in the woods, it's his escape, and he has only shared that escape with one person, and that person is not Merle. Loud, obnoxious Merle, who cannot keep quiet for even a second. Who berates him at every opportunity. Who he loves, yes, but who he would not normally choose to spend his time with.

Merle, who will not shut up.

He knows that if he were presented with the choice now, he might choose differently.

The road is blocked, and Rick, Glenn, and Maggie get out. Misty and Michonne stay in the car. It isn't long before the shouting starts outside. Misty is crying, even though she's trying her hardest not to. Then, Michonne speaks. "I'm sorry about your boyfriend. Daryl."

"Not my boyfriend," she replies, her voice tight. "Just a friend."

Michonne nods. "Well, I'm still sorry."

"Thanks." She glances over at the other woman and meets her eyes. She doesn't know what it is, but she feels a sort of instant kinship with her. There is a warmth that passes between them, an understanding. "I'm going to ask Rick to let you stay. If you want to."

Michonne smiles back at her, a small, unpracticed thing. "Thank you."

The others finally finish their argument, and get back into the car. They drive in silence back to the prison.

They arrive and drive through the gates, stopping only to let out Rick. When the car finally stops, Misty throws the door open and jumps out, looking around frantically for Addie. She doesn't see her daughter and she wonders, briefly, if it wasn't true.

But no matter how mad at him she is, she knows Daryl would never lie to her. A door opens, and Addie runs out, looking for her. The girl's eyes widen in horror at the sight of her mother so beaten and scantily clad. "Mamà." Addie runs to her and throws her arms around her waist. "What happened?"