my angel ➶ ➶ daryl dixon

f o r t y

Daryl's POV:
"Rick they shoulda been back for hours now." I had been pacing my cell ever since they left, but I started getting extremely nervous now that the sun was growing ever closer to the horizon.

"I'm sure they're fine Daryl. Aspen is strong, and knows how to look out for herself." Rick gave me a reassuring look, but I wasn't gonna leave it at that.

"I'm going after them."

"Daryl no. What happens when they get back and you're gone? Then we'd have to send people out after you."

I scoffed and stormed off. Rick obviously didn't understand the danger Aspen could be in. She isn't invincible, and I had already lost her once.

I walked along the fence for a while, trying to calm down. "How can he just let them go." I muttered to myself. Aspen had just gotten back, and now Rick was just letting her go again.

I turned my head and looked out in the forest where a group of walkers was forming. I was about to turn around when a glint of metal caught my eye. I looked closer, and realized that one of the walkers were holding something. Baby formula?

"Rick! Get ya ass over here." He appeared by my side, looking at the walker with me.

"Is that walker carrying baby formula?"

"I don't think that's no walker. I think she covered herself in walkers guts." Rick watched the woman for a second, and seemed to come to the same conclusion I did.

"Well, let her in." We walked to the gate to meet the mysterious woman.

"This is what your friends were looking for." She handed us the baby formula.

"Aspen?" I mumbled to Rick. He looked at me, wondering how much we should tell this woman.

"What happened to them?" Rick asked.

"They were taken. I know where, and I know how to get them back."

Aspen's POV:
I woke up with a pounding headache. I groaned and tried to grab my head, but my arms were still restrained.

"Good mornin sunshine." I glared at Merle, which didn't help my headache, but I wasn't gonna let him know how much pain I was in.

"Hey don't be mad at me princess. I'm just followin orders."

"Help me get out of here Merle. I know where your brother is. I can take you to him. Join our group Merle." I could see his eyes soften a bit right as another guard entered the room.

"Gov wants you in the Asian's room." Merle gave me one last look, and walked out of the room.

The guard closed the door, leaving me alone. I looked around the room for anything I could use to get free. Nothing. I sighed, and closed my eyes to try to relieve the pain in my head. I could feel the bruises all over my body beginning to form. Bruises... Tears began to form in my eyes as I suddenly flashed back to what the Governor had done to me. I had almost been violated. I could still feel his hands on my body, him rubbing against me.

BOOM. An explosion rattled my room, and shook me from my nightmares. I could only hope that it was my group coming to save me. I heard doors slam outside, and multiple pairs of boots run down the hall. Gunfire erupted on what I assumed was the street outside. A man yelled from outside my door, and sounds of people fighting followed.

It went silent for a moment before my door was busted in. I locked eyes with the icy blue ones I had been desperately missing, and had to hold back a sob. Daryl rushed around me, and cut me loose. I spun around, and he wrapped me up in his muscular arms. "Is it really you?" I asked quietly.

He released me and held me out in front of him. "It's me." He answered. We stood there staring at each other for a second, before gunfire exploded in the hall, pulling us back to the present.

"How did you find me?" I asked, as Daryl handed me a gun.

"A woman named Michonne found us at the prison. She saw y'all get kidnapped, and led us here." He looked at me again, before he headed towards the door. "Stay close."

He pulled the door open, and looked down the hallway before he motioned for me to follow. I stuck close behind him as we made our way out of the holding cells. We had almost made it to the street when someone fired a shot, right over my shoulder. I spun around, and fired two shots into the man who had snuck up behind us.

Daryl scanned my body to make sure I wasn't hurt before he continued. Even in the middle of battle, his eyes on my body ignited butterfly's within me. I took a deep breath. Control yourself.

Daryl spun out onto the street, and pushed me behind a bench. "Stay down. I'll be back for ya." I opened my mouth to argue, but he was already gone.

I stayed behind the bench, watching parts of the battle unfold. Men ran by, gunshots following them. I can't just sit here.

I popped up from behind my hiding spot, and pulled a jacket I found on a bench over my head. A few people ran by me, but none gave me a second glance. They were too preoccupied to be worried about a small blonde girl. Corner after corner I avoided any interactions, until I made it to the center of the town. There, a crowd had gathered around what looked like an arena. I made my way through the crowd, pulling the jacket lower over my face to avoid being seen. However, I didn't have to worry much about that because all the attention was on the arena.

Two men appeared to be fighting each other. As I looked closer, I noticed one had a sleeveless leather jacket on. "Daryl!" I whisper-shouted, earning a few looks. Shit. I lowered my face, trying to avoid being recognized. After a few minutes I looked back up, and saw that Daryl was fighting... his brother! He must've gotten caught, and the Governor pit them against each other.

I cringed as Merle landed a punch on Daryl. If you hurt him asshole... I was ready to dive into that arena when Daryl landed a shot on Merle. Something was off. I'd seen Daryl punch before, and this was not even close to as hard as he could. They're putting on a show. Right as I realized their plan, gun shots erupt through the arena. Rick ran towards the fighting men, and threw Daryl his cross bow, before they both ran off. I pushed through the scattering crowd, and followed them the best I could.

We had escaped.