Stand By Me (Daryl Dixon)

E l e v e n

"Where's Sasha and Rosita?" I hear Daryl's voice from down stairs.

I hear the shiffling of there feet and door slamming shut. I throw the blankets off my tired body, grabbing my things from the end of my bed and slip out of the bedroom without waking Chase.

He's going to go after them, I take two steps at a time and I'm out the door. I drop my boots and pull them on while looking for Daryl and Jesus. I spot them coming out of Jesus' trailer.

"Hey!" I say when I catch up to them walking towards, "I'm coming with you." I pull my maroon shirt over my tank top.

"No, you ain't. Stay here." Daryl says to me upset that I'm out here, waving his hand.

"I'm not a child, Daryl. So, stop treating me like one." I grit my teeth. "Where do you think you'll find them? The Sanctuary? Good luck, trying to get into a place like that. Negan would have that place guarded like a heavy prison."

"So, what do you think we should do?" Jesus confides with me.

"We go to Alexandra, and tell Rick. He is your leader," I look over to Daryl who still looks pissed, "he'll know exactly what to do."

"Okay, then we'll do that." Jesus turns to Daryl and pats him on the shoulder and he begins to walk away, "Rick would know what to do."

Daryl doesn't move from where he's standing, glaring at me. I roll my eyes and pass him, becoming irritated at him for acting like I can't handle what's going on. We were just fine watching the stars.

I was just about the reach the car when my wrist was grabbed, "You're riding with me."

I give him a puzzling look at look over to the motorcycle. I pulls me along to the bike and he get on, starting it up. I watch as he pulls off his crossbow and hands it to me. I swing it over my own bow, making me cringe at the clanking sound they make together. He then lends his hand out and help me onto the intense bike. The bike jerks forward and I grab tightly around his torso.

Daryl positions us next to Jesus, who twirls his hand out the window of the car, signalling for the gate to open. 

The cold air whipping passed us as Daryl leads us to Alexandra, making the feeling of needles pricking at my legs. I bury my face into his back, blocking the wind from hitting my face. My body didn't relaxed once we hit the paved road, the transition from gravel to pavement makes me tighten my grip around Daryl's body. He must have noticed because he placed a hand over mine, and slightly rubbed the back of my hand, then intertwining our fingers. His mood must have lightened up. I grin at his gesture, and his talent to drive a motorcycle with one hand.

The longer we were driving the colder I got. All my mind I could think about was wishing I threw my brothers sweater on. Chase. 'Fuck!' I thought to myself. I was so worried about these two going after Sasha and Rosita that I forgot about my brother!

Daryl slows the bike, letting my hand go so he can steady the bike. I look up and see a gated community, a sign saying: WELCOME TO THE  ALEXANDRA SAFE ZONE, MERCY FOR THE LOST, VENGEANCE FOR THE PLUNDERERS. The gates open and we enter, and I make eye contact with Rick.  Coming to a stop, I give him a small smile and he keeps the bewildered look on his face, as he walks over to the passenger side window of the car. I place my forehead on Daryl's back, shivering. The bike jerks again and I open my eyes to see ricks boots walking as we drive past him. We pull in front of a huge house. Patting my hand, Daryl switches the bike off and I swing my leg over, climbing off.

Rick come up the driveway, "it's nice to see you, Shay." He touches my shoulder on the way to the house, followed by Jesus.

When walking into the house the first thing I notice is the huge fireplace, above it a scenery painting, bookshelves on either side. The house bigger than mine growing up. I take both bows and my bag off and place it on the hardwood floor. Unzipping and pulling my boots off so I don't dirty the floor.

"We have to talk about Sasha and Rosita," Jesus begins. "Couldn't find them at the Hilltop, Shay thinks they're going to Negan."

They all look over to me. I shrug my shoulders, "It's only plausible, from what I heard they loved the same man, right? So, they want the same thing; vengeance on the one who killed him."

"So, we go after them!" Daryl says.

"Like I said before," I eye Daryl down for not taking what I said literally. "Negan would have that place locked down, because if they did got in and were caught, he'd have patrols on guard in an instant."

"Shay is right. We can't win the war without patience for the right moment." Rick says leaning back into the dining chair. "For now, they are more than capable to take care of themselves."

I hear Daryl huff, walking away and taking two stairs at a time.

"There's a guest bedroom down the hall for you to sleep in." Rick says, getting up from his chair and making his way to the kitchen counter.

"Thank you, but if it's alright I'd like to sleep on the couch by the fire." Rick nods and grabs himself a glass of water before heading upstairs to bed himself.

"Then the room is mine!" Jesus clasps his hands together and heads to the room.

I pull the blanket off the back of the couch and get comfy. I look over to the fire and listen to the crackles before falling asleep.

•

The next morning, I feel a small finger touch my cheek. I slowly open my one eyes to see a beautiful little girls face, her big mixed coloured eyes smiling. I smile and sit up.

"Hi." She speaks to me, with a toothy smile. The cuteness coming off this kid makes me wonder if I ever will have one.

"Judith!" I hear a guy say, "I'm sorry she woke you. Your name is Shay, right?"

"We've met, Carl." I nod and yawn, I look up to see the kid from the truck ride to the Kingdom.

"This is Judith." He sit on the couch next to me, pulling Judith up onto his lap. "I heard you guys talking last night. It's pretty reckless what they did, leaving by themselves."

"It's pretty stupid." I acknowledge, trying to fix my knotted hair, giving up I just through it up into a knotty bun.

"You were there, in that place? I didn't see you there." I look up to him in shock.

"What?"

"I was there. Negan showed me around. I can understand why Sasha and Rosita left. We all want the same thing. Negan dead."

I nod, "tell me about it." I get up from my spot and grab my boots to put them on. "Where is everyone?" I pick up my now lonely bow and bag.

"There outside," Carl states, getting up and grabbing a duffel bag from beside the door, with Judith on his hip. "While you were sleeping, Tara told us where we can find guns for this group we're trying to get to work with. We're leaving to drop Judith off the the Hilltop and going to grab them."

"Forcefully?" I ask opening the door for them and following them out.

"If it comes down to that." He bluntly tells me.

What he says makes me feel uneasy. Stepping down from the house I see many people and the uneasiness grows with each pair of eyes that land on me.

That's when Rick fills me in about Oceanside. He told me that Michonne and I will be in the trees scouting and taking out people if needed. He is then handed a M16.

"Do you know how to use this?" He asks and I take it from him slowly.

I nod, bows are not the only thing I'm good at. I had learned quickly on how to use heavy artillery like the one in my hand now. "I'm better with my bow though."

"Then use this one as a last resort. Let's head out!" He shouts and walks down to the gate.

I begin to walk and I hear my name. I turn and see Daryl sitting on his bike. He flicks his head for me to ride with him. I smile, and take his bow from around him like last night and climb on. Wrapping my arms around him, he fires up the engine.

A/n: Thank you for reading. It means a lot to me.

Briena x.