train wreck | rick grimes

chapter twenty-six

DANIELLE WAS THE LAST ONE IN LINE TO BE RUNNING AS EVERYONE WENT TOWARDS THE STREET, WHERE THE FLARE WAS FIRED. 

They had approached the road and Rick was starting to get irritated as he didn't see their people. "Where are they?"

"I-I don't know." Aaron stuttered in fear.

"If this is just a trick to get us right where you want us, your people are gonna die tonight." Rick threatened as he walked to farther down the road. "The flare was towards the water tower."

Within ten minutes, they saw the water tower and killed a couple of walkers that were roaming around.

Rick whistled and Danielle sighed in relief as she saw Daryl. The four fan towards the small room, hugging their loved ones.

"Eric? Eric?" Aaron called out in a panic as he wasn't able to see his significant other.

Rick followed him into the room as Michonne went up to Danielle and hugged her, the woman being surprised. "Glad you're okay."

"Me too." Danielle gave her a small smile as she pulled away, seeing Carl walk up to her with Judith.

"She's okay? She's not hungry?" Danielle asked him and Carl looked to his sister.

"No. Well, I don't think so. She ate like two jars of apple sauce." Carl laughed.

Aaron had walked out a little while after Rick had walked in. "Thank you, everyone. You saved Eric. I owe you, all of you. And I will make sure that debt is paid in full, when we get to our community. When we get to Alexandria."

Everyone looked to him, hoping that what he was saying is true. Hoping that he didn't make all this up.

"Now I don't know about you but... I don't really want to do anymore driving tonight." Aaron chuckled, Danielle with him. "Maybe we can hit the road tomorrow morning."

"That sounds fine." Rick spoke, everyone agreeing. "But if we're staying here for tonight, you're sleeping over there."

"Is that really necessary?" Danielle spoke, defending Aaron.

"It's only a safe play. We don't know you."

"The only way you're gonna stop me from being with him is shooting me right now." Aaron protested.

Rick thought for a moment before he looked to Danielle and imagined himself in this situation with her. He sighed deeply. "Alright."

All night, Danielle couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about what Aaron had said in the car. She groaned lowly and walked out from the room, taking watch outside.

She jumped a little when she saw Daryl, him sitting there, cleaning his crossbow. "God, don't you ever sleep?"

Daryl grunted. "Nope."

Danielle sighed and looked to the moon. "Couple hours til sunrise."

Daryl nodded and looked to her, squinting his eyes a bit. "Yeah. Should probably get some sleep."

She shook her head. "Can't."

"Why?"

"I've been thinking about something that Aaron said earlier is all." Danielle started. Daryl looked at her to continue. "Said that there was a picture of me at the community... not sure if he was lyin' or not."

"Huh." Daryl stopped cleaning the bow and looked to her. "Guess we'll find out later."

Danielle sighed and yawned a little. "Guess we will."

The woman was half asleep when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She instantly woke up and then looked around, seeing Rick in front of her.

"You scared me. Where'd you go?" Rick asked her. He had woken up in the morning and he saw she wasn't there. Rick started to panic. He walked outside and smiled in relief once he saw her perched up against the wall, sleeping standing up as Daryl just looked to him for a second, before going back to what he was doing.

"Let's go." Rick told her. Her eyes lit up, her having hope that she just might see her family again.

-

They had driven halfway with everyone in the RV as Danielle sat towards the back, lost in thought.

"Hey." Michonne went up to her.

"Hey." Danielle replied back.

"What's up?"

"Aaron said that there's a picture of me... there. At Alexandria. I don't- I don't know if I wanna see if that's true or not." Danielle confessed, Michonne looking to her in question.

"If there's hope they are alive... wouldn't you wanna see them?" Michonne asked her.

Tears formed in her eyes, her quickly wiping the tears away once they fell. "What if they don't accept me?" She whispered, making sure nobody else heard.

The two woman have only had this conversation once. And that was when her and Michonne were locked in the room in Woodbury. Where the men were keeping them and she wanted to confess everything before she died. They both did.

Michonne placed her hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be okay."

"Okay.." Danielle reassured herself.

The RV stopped and everyone got out, Glenn trying to see what was wrong with it.

It had only passed a couple of moments before they got it starting again. Danielle decided that she wanted to ride with Rick, thinking that maybe it would calm her down. He agreed and Judith laughed loudly, happy to see her in the car.

Around thirty minutes was when they approached the gates of Alexandria. The walls were nicely built and it seemed they were clean. Not a walker in sight.

Danielle's leg bounced up and down rapidly, the woman beyond nervous that she was gonna possibly reunite with her family again.

"Hey." Rick whispered to her, placing his hand on her thigh to get it to stop shaking. "It's gonna be alright."

Danielle swallowed nervously. "Yeah, I know." She grabbed his hand and brushed her thumb over it gently, sighing deeply.