Beauty and Her Beast (Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

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It's been hours since we got to Hilltop and I feel sick. I can't tell if it's the stress or the baby, but I've thrown up three times. It's probably both. I hugged the bucket, leaning on Maggie. "This is hell." I groaned.

Maggie chuckled. "Oh, we've been through much worse than pregnancy."

I laughed. "Yeah, I know, but right now...this sucks."

Someone knocked on the door. "Sorry to interrupt, Gregory's here."

Maggie got off the bed immediately. "Wait, I'm coming too."

She shook her head. "No, you're sick. Stay here."

She rushed out the door and I got up anyway, taking my bucket with me. I made my way outside. "Shut you damn mouth!" I heard her yell as I approached her and Enid. "You're really gonna stand there and pretend you didn't try to sell us out, sell this place out to the Saviors."

"Hey." I greeted Enid.

Enid looked shocked. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

I shook my head. "I need to see this asshole beg." Enid chuckled.

"You threatened to kick people out."

"I tried to save lives. Now those people are cannon fodder."

"Those people are fighting for a better life."

"Look, the "throwing out the families" line was all Negan. He made me say those horrible things. I went to them in-in-in you know, in the interest of-of furthering good-faith diplomacy. I tried to save lives. Some people, without opinions colored by a preoccupation with vengeance, might call that heroic."

"You were looking out for yourself. You went there to betray us. To warn Negan that we were gonna fight. That's what you told Kal when you dragged him there. It's why Kal left you there."

"Kal?" He scoffed. "Kal is delusional."

"What the hell?" He leaned over the wall, flipping Gregory off.

Gregory looked up. "Kal! Hey, c'mon man. You. Know you can be dramatic. That-that thing with the sorghum pancakes, huh?"

"You mean when you ate a little girls pancakes?"

"I did not eat those pancakes!" He yelled, getting defensive. "Listen, for what it's worth, I did exactly zero harm to your cause. Negan already knew everything."

"Goodbye Gregory." We turned, walking away.

"No, please! I- All right, I went there because I was scared, all right? I knew you were gonna fight, and-and I didn't want to be complicit. Because I didn't think you could win. But I see now what-what you saw all along. That-that the Saviors can't be reasoned with. That fighting them is the only way. I was wrong. I-I made a mistake, and I'm sorry. Please, Maggie. We're all just human beings with faults and-and fears! But is this who you are? Have you no mercy? Have you no humanity? Have you no charity? Please! Open the gate! Open your heart. Don't leave another human being out here to die!"

Maggie looked up at Kal. "Let him in."

The gates opened, Gregory rushing in. I sighed. "Come on, hearing him beg was fun."

"With everything he did? Why?" Enid asked.

"He's not worth killin'. Not yet anyway."

"You won't regret this. I've changed. I-I'm a believer now. You'll see."

We started walking away, but Kal called. "Uhh, Maggie!"

Maggie sighed. "Enid, take her to the house, make her lay down."

"Maggie, please, I can-"

"Don't argue. You helped me when I was sick, now let me help you."

I sighed, walking with Enid. "You know, you don't always have to be strong, you're allowed to relax once in a while."

I sighed. "I wish I knew how to relax. I've been fighting all my life."

We walked in silence to the bedroom. She got me in the bed, sitting on the edge. "What do you mean, fighting all your life?"

I lifted my shirt slightly, showing her one of many scars. "My mom hit me when I was a kid, every day. Then my boyfriend did too, even gave me this big scar on my stomach, beer bottle. Then all this end of the world shit happened. Then there was the Governor. He did...unimaginable things to me for information."

Enid sighed. "You know, when you first got here...I thought you didn't trust us because you didn't know us. I guess there was more to it than that."

I smiled. "You know what they say. Don't judge a book by its cover." I closed my eyes for a moment. "Shit."

"What, is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "No, I just...I gotta go back to Alexandria."

Enid shook her head. "Why? They can handle themselves for now. You need to rest, and you can't go back alone. It's too dangerous right now. We'll see them when this is over."

I sighed, realizing she was right. "Ok, yeah, I can...I can stay here. I'm kinda tired anyway."