The Beginning Of The End (A Daryl Dixon Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Splinters

18 months later

"Well that's all the crops done." Rain sighed as she looked out at the cornfield which was dry and empty. "Hey!" She shouted to two Saviours who were nailing a walker onto a wooden post. "What are you doing?"
"Scaring the birds away." One of them replied, Rain raised her crossbow and shot the walker in the head.
"Take it down."

Rain walked back into the Sanctuary to see Daryl had returned from his trip out, he was also joined by Michonne, Rick, Ezekiel, Jerry, Carol and Rosita.
"Calm down everyone." She shouted to the crowd of Saviours.
"That's Rick Grimes!" One of them said. "He's the one who ended the war."
"Is Negan suffering?" Another asked. "I sure hope he is."
Rain ignored them as she approached Daryl.
"Hey." She said. "I need to show you something."
She led him to one of the walls and pointed at the writing someone had done.

SAVIOURS SAVE US!
We Are Still Negan

"That's the third one this week." She sighed.
"Justin." Daryl addressed one of the Saviours nearby. "Clean that up."
"How?" Justin asked,
"What do you mean how?" Rain demanded. "Paint over it."

That night Daryl and Rain sat in bed.
"I don't want to lead these people anymore." Daryl said,
"Why?" Rain asked, putting down the book she was reading,
"Being here, behind these walls again, it just don't feel right." He replied. "I'm better out there, you know I am."
"I can't do this on my own." Rain replied, she was fine with Daryl quitting, she really was, but he couldn't dump the responsibility onto her.
"We could just leave it to fail." He said. "It already is failing, nothing grows here."
"So what?" Rain asked. "You want to go back to Alexandria?"
"Nah, not with Negan there. I was thinking the Hilltop." Daryl replied. "Check on Maggie and the baby."
"Okay." She said and he looked at her suprised. "I'll go anywhere with you."
Daryl kissed her before pulling back the covers and swinging his legs off the bed.
"Sleep." He said before standing up and putting a leather jacket on. "I'm going out for a smoke."

Daryl passed Carol his cigarette, she took it and turned it in her fingers before throwing it on the floor and crushing it with her boot.
"Those things will kill you." She said as she sat down next to him.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Daryl asked her and she shrugged,
"We don't sleep." She replied. "Ezekiel, however, sleeps like a baby."
"I bet he snores all fancy too." He said making her laugh and slap his knee,
"Stop it." She said. "Does Rain snore?"
"Nah." He replied.
"I want to take over this place for you two." Carol said. "Don't argue."
"You gonna bring Henry and the King?" Daryl asked and she shook her head,
"They don't know yet." She paused for a moment before speaking again. "He proposed to me."
"Really?" Daryl asked and she nodded,
"I wish I said yes." She said. "You and Rain have been together a while now, would you ever propose?"
"You think she'd want me to?" Daryl asked shifting in his seat before laughing. "I mean she doesn't even have a ring finger."
"Ah come on." Carol laughed and Daryl just shrugged.
"I guess I've never really thought about it."

~

The next morning Daryl and Rain jumped on their motorbikes and drove up to the Hilltop. When they arrived, they ran straight up to the mansion to see Maggie, she hugged them both tightly before picking her baby up and handing him to Rain. Rain bounced him up and down in her arms,
"Hey Hershel." She said in a high-pitched voice. "Aren't you just perfect."
Daryl held his finger out and let Hershel grab hold of it.
"The bridge is down." Daryl said to Maggie. "Can you spare some workers to help?"

~

Work on the bridge quickly began and Rain stayed at the camp they had set up nearby to take care of things there. She walked over to the infirmary tent to see Enid stitching up Cindy's hand and Siddiq watching over her.
"How's the star student?" Rain asked Siddiq,
"She's doing great." He replied beaming. "She barely needs me to show her anymore."
"Well that's good," she said, "because I'm sending you home, a flu has broken out in Alexandria."
Enid looked up from Cindy's hand, her face dropped,
"Wait, he's leaving me?" She asked and Rain just shrugged.
"Hey, you'll be great." Siddiq said rubbing her back. "I've got to go."
He grabbed a bag from under the table and left the tent.
"Shit!" Rain exclaimed running out of the tent and towards Daryl and Aaron, one of Aaron's arms was completely mangled and there were fragments of splintered bone pointing in every direction, she put her arm around him and helped him to the tent.
"Where's Siddiq?" Daryl asked,
"You just missed him." Rain sighed.
"It's just me." Enid said, rushing over and laying Aaron down on the bed.
She stared at his wound for a second, trying to block out his groans and screams, before nodded confidently.
"I have to amputate."
Daryl held him down as Rain tied a piece of rope around the top of his arm and Enid gathered up the tools she needed. As soon as she pressed the knife down on his arm, Daryl and Rain both looked away at each other. He followed a single tear drop down her face as she pulled the rope tight.

As soon as they were done, Daryl stormed out of the tent, Rain followed.
He entered the officers tent and she stayed outside.
"Who was supposed to turn the heard?" She heard him shout, there was no reply and then Justin started to talk,
"Hey, the walkie wasn't charged."
"Bullshit." Daryl yelled. "It's a solar walkie. You didn't think to check it?"
"It's not my fault the radio's a piece of shit." Justin shouted back before stumbling out of the tent and falling down the steps. Everyone gasped and gathered around as Daryl came out and punched him in the face.
"Daryl!" Rain yelled but he ignored her and continued hitting. She stood behind him and, as he pulled his arm back to punch him again, she grabbed it. "Come on." She said calmly and he instantly stepped back shaking. Rain looked down at Justin before spitting on him and leading Daryl away.

"I heard what he did at the bridge, to Henry, and I know it was his fault what happened to Aaron," Rain said as she massaged Daryls back on the floor of the officers tent, "but you can't go round beating people up."
"Why?" He grunted and she laughed.
"You're a leader now, you have influence over people." She replied. "You're not some redneck that gets in barfights every weekend like the guys I used to tattoo and you're certainly not your brother."
Daryl nodded and turned around to kiss her.

Rain entered the infirmary tent and sat down on a chair next to Aaron's bed, she watched as his chest slowly moved up and down. Suddenly his breaths stopped and her eyes widened as she thought about what to do.
"I'm not dead." He croaked, his mouth barely moving. Rain exhaled loudly and took his hand in hers.
"I know."
Aaron's eyes slowly flickered and he opened and closed his mouth a few times like a fish.
"You want water?" Rain asked and he nodded. She stood up and walked over to a jug of water on the table and a cup, she poured him some of the water and brought it back over to him, he took a sip and gave it back to her. "Welcome to the club." She said, holding up her left hand and wiggling the small stump that remained of her ring finger, Aaron laughed weakly.

- Princexiero xx