#or he'd need michonne to convince him to do it.

[thosewildcharms]

The “how did I get so lucky” line it’s such an insane statement cos sir the apocalypse literally happened and he’s been through so much and lost people... but guess what, in all of this he is finding the love of his life at the end of the world 🥹

when I tell you I gasped when he said that. he literally considers himself lucky despite everything! ps do u think he ever feels guilty because despite all the death and the trauma and the loss and the entire world ending that, other than losing carl, he's way happier now than he was before? simply because he found her? once again I say if the entire world had to end for them to be together than so be it!

#richonne #the ones who live #truly i believe. that given the opportunity to set the world to rights but lose her he'd choose her. #or he'd need michonne to convince him to do it. #and not in the genocidal beale way i mean like say if there was a magic button and poof! no apocalypse #alternatively. someone else presses the magic button and he wakes up in his old life but he can still feel her. #<- this is an au i ponder often #picture like. the LOST season six sideways universe but it's actually just a what if x did not happen au not the afterlife lol

[mrdixon]

Slow mornings

pairing: established daryl x f!reader

wc: 1k (WOW)

warnings: mention of sexual content (very suggestive oohhhhrrr)

summary: the morning after, he cant get enough.

A/N: HI IM WRITING A SERIES DONT FRET and i just wrote this because i woke up and thought of him. also i was like so ready to post this and then SCREAMED because i forgot to make a gif.

masterlist

You scrunched your face up feeling the warm Virginian sun on your skin, squeezing your eyes shut as you rolled over onto your side. Once your eyes adjusted to the bright light you looked over and saw your boyfriend, laying on his stomach asleep.

It was a bit of a shock to see him still in bed next to you, usually he'd wake up early and be up and about. You couldn't blame him for sleeping in though, after your night of pure, rough passion. You shivered remembering his skin on yours, the ghost of his lips still lingering on your neck.

You tucked your arm underneath your head, watching his sleeping face. His lips parted a little and you could hear soft breathing from him, his hair messily resting over his eyes. You reached forward, gently brushing the strands of hair out of his face. He grumbled low in his throat, keeping his eyes closed as he threw an arm over your waist, dragging you closer to him. You sighed quietly, wrapping your arm around his head and burying his face in your neck to which he accepted with zero resistance. His lips started to slowly pepper kisses along your throat, brushing over the marks he left the night prior, sending shivers down your spine as your hand closed in on his hair gently.

“Morning to you,” you murmured softly which earned a grunt from him. His hand roamed behind you, his nails tracing over the curve of your back, goosebumps rising on your skin. The kisses on your neck became more urgent, pressing his lips hard against your flesh and taking a deep breath.

“Mornin’,” he muttered against your neck. Nibbling one of the hickeys on your collarbone before pulling back slightly to look at your face, his hand retracting a bit to thumb at the side of your breast. He chuckled at your appearance, hair still messy, your eyes tired. “Ya look beautiful like this.” He ran his fingers through your hair, getting caught in a few tangles on the way down, leaning in to peck your lips.

You kissed him back tenderly, softly. His hand stilled at the back of your head as he groaned into the kiss, pulling back before burying his face in your neck once again.

“We should get up soon…” you mumbled while giggling, a soft sigh leaving your mouth when he dragged his tongue along the marks on your neck. He pinched your waist playfully, biting the area where your neck met your shoulder.

“Don’ wanna get up,” he grumbled, kissing your chin. You laughed, catching his lips with your own before pulling back, his chin resting on your chest as he looked up at you.

“Fine, five more minutes.” You grinned, your hand tickling the side of his face to which he swatted away. He grabbed your waist, flipping you both over so you were on top of him.

“Make it half an hour,” he whispered, pulling you closer so he could press his face into your breasts. You giggled lightly, tugging his hair and pulling him away.

“We have work to do, wouldn’t want Michonne up our asses huh?” You pointed out to which he scoffed, shoving his face back in your breasts.

“Wouldn’ mind if it meant I got to be inside you again,” he said, muffled. You smacked his head lightly, “hey. I got needs woman.”

“Sure you do,” you sighed dreamily. As much as you wanted to continue this, you had to do some work. Muttering an apology you started to get off of him, but you didn’t get far before he pulled you back on top of him, his big arms wrapped around your back.

“Wha’ do I gotta do to convince ya?” He murmured almost pathetically, but you knew better than to point out his tone of voice. You looked down at him, meeting his captivating blue eyes, ones that begged you to stay in bed for awhile longer. He bit his lip once you didn’t respond, leaning in to nuzzle your cheek with his nose. Kissing your jaw gently as his hands rubbed your lower back, his eyes remaining on yours. “Please? (Y/N)…”

You stroked the side of his face, rubbing his stubble with your thumb. He was being so needy all of a sudden, he usually wasn’t. You placed your palm on his jaw, tilting his head up and leaning down to place a light kiss on his lips. As you pulled away he chased after your lips slightly, his shoulders drooping. How cute.

“(Y/N)…” he mumbled, grabbing your wrist and rubbing it. “Let me in ya…” You sighed, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

“No,” you whispered gently, earning a loud grunt from him. He bit your neck quite harshly, a yelp escaping you.

“Please…” he whispered, now kissing over the bite he just gave you, massaging your lower back. His hand moving to cup your ass, his breath shaky. “I’ll do anythin’… Just let me have ya..”

You smirked, running your fingers through his messy hair and tugging his head back. “Anything?” You grinned to which he nodded eagerly, you leaned down to kiss his lips. His hands on your sides, caressing the sides of your breasts while his tongue fought with yours.

He tried to flip you both over at one point but you held your ground, biting his bottom lip which made him groan deeply into your mouth. You rocked your hips against his teasingly, his hands slowly inching over to cup your breasts, but you swatted them away.

“Okay fine, we can stay in for a bit. But I’m on top.” You grinned to which he rolled his eyes, nodding reluctantly.

“Fine ya little minx.” He grunted playfully, shivering when your nails tickled down his back.

“15 minutes… that’s it,” you whispered above his lips, his breath mingling with yours. He groaned, rolling his eyes.

He grumbled, pressing his lips to yours and pulling you down onto him. “Nah, 30 minutes. ‘s a slow mornin’.”

#daryl dixon #the walking dead #daryl x reader #twd daryl #norman reedus #daryl x y/n #daryl fluff #mrdixonposts

[woeswrites]

Yandere Daryl Dixon

Warnings: Yandere themes, Obsessive behaviors, Nonconsensual kissing, etc.

At first Daryl's feelings for you were completely normal

If anything they were a little childish

It played out like something from elementary school

He was a little standoffish/aggressive towards you

Always taking a jab when he could at anything he could think of

Liking to set you off and see you try and fire something back only for it to never really land

"You shouldn't talk so much. You'd contribute a lot more around here if you just shut it you know?"

"I don't remember asking for advice Daryl..."

You were convinced you had done something to tick the hunter off

In reality, he was confused about the weird feeling being around you gave him

He felt sick to his stomach

Not in a throwing up sort of way... but it was something he couldn't ignore no matter how hard he tried

He found himself staring at you whenever you were around

He even picked up on your small mannerisms, taking a mental note whenever he saw one in action

He found them kind of cute?

Like whenever you knitted your eyebrows after losing a game of cards

Or when you scrunched your nose after having seen the daily hunt he'd just picked up

OR the way your mouth quirked up a little to the right whenever you successfully landed a shot

ORRR--

He could go on and on

He had never paid this much attention to anyone before

It was freaking him out just how much time you had started taking up in his life

He tried to get you off his mind

He'd never needed someone before and god be damned if he would need someone now

Or at least that's what he tried telling himself

Every time he saw a duck he definitely didn't spend extra time hunting to snag it

How would he have known you had an affinity for poultry?

It was just a coincidence that he found them on his way back

You'd also been the only one he deemed fit to learn how to use his crossbow

Not because he liked you

No, you just sucked at using a rifle

He had to give you some survival skills

What started out as a normal (albeit unwanted) crush developed into something completely different after that day

You'd gone out with Glenn and Maggie, something about picking up baby formula for Rick's kid

He wasn't too worried about it

Glenn knew what he was doing, so did Maggie, you were just there for some extra hands and in emergencies a little bit of added strength

That's what Daryl tried telling himself

That was until the three of you never turned back up

They had all waited and waited and still there was no sign of you

Soon a stranger showed up in your place

She had with her baby formula

Daryl could tell something was wrong

He immediately took her inside the gates of the jail, demanding to know if she had any idea of what happened

Michonne was her name

She didn't speak much but she said enough

She mentioned an Asian with his brunette girlfriend and an accompanying guy with a few arrows on his back

They had all been taken by some guy

Daryl felt his heart drop

He had no idea if you were okay or not

He felt like apart of himself had been ripped away from him at the idea of not knowing if he would ever see you again

He couldn't lose you, he had already lost so much

Once he got you back he was going to make sure you knew how much you actually meant to him and keep you safe

He would be insistent that the group went out as soon as possible, not resting easy until they found the group safe and sound

Along with Michonne, Rick, and Oscar, Daryl managed to find the place you were being held captive

They sneak throughout the town despite Daryl wanting to just blast his way through to you

Despite some hiccups he managed to make it to you and before anything else, gave you a big hug

You cough hard when he crashed into you but Daryl didn't let go, he was too caught up in finally getting to know you were okay

As soon as he realized they didn't have much time he quickly began to remove your restraints

He smiled after you thanked him, forgetting for a moment the kind of situation you were in just from being able to hear your pretty voice

He quickly recuperated and demanded that him and the rest of the group attack those who dared mess with them

Both Rick and Glenn objected, there were too many of them to ensure a win

Despite his aggravation Daryl conceded with them

When Glenn told him about his brother he couldn't even find it in himself to care

If he had the nerve to take you away from him he wasn't worth it

In fact, Daryl swore to himself that if he ever saw the man again he would kill him himself

With little issue you were swiftly brought back to camp alongside the rest of the crew

Daryl took you into his cell and began to bandage you up as the rest of them settled down

"Wouldn't it be better if Hershel took care of this?"

"I can't have that, I just got you back I'm not handing you off already"

His behavior was odd but you chalked it up to the stress of the whole situation

That was until it never seemed to stop

No matter where you went or what you went to do Daryl accompanied you

At first you fought back

...that didn't last long

"Do I look like I'm taking no for an answer Y/n?"

Not only did you have to spend all day with him

At night he would confine you to his cell with him

It started off decently enough, Daryl having asked if you could room with him for the night and offering to take the floor

"I just want some company. I was so worried about you, y'know?"

It then developed further

You would spend every night together and slowly but surely he worked his way into the bed beside you

At night you would be locked in place by Daryl's solid arms

Even while sleeping he seemed to have this need to protect you

He also began to isolate you after finding out Andrea was apart of Woodbury

"If she could do this to you, then why wouldn't anyone here? Just stay with me, I'll keep you safe"

Daryl only trusted Carol coming around you and even that was scarce

For the most part it was just you and him, either in his cell or out in the woods as he started dragging you out with him on his hunts to keep a better eye on you

Somewhere along the line this new routine for him started to make him a little delusional

Without having even brought it up to you Daryl began to go around telling everyone how you were his and it was only right for two boyfriends to spend time together

When you had heard you tried laughing it off but Daryl would have none of that

He helped assure you he was not joking by pinning you against the bed one night

"You're mine, you get that? I'm not letting you go, not again"

Before you could say or do anything he roughly kissed you, showing you just how serious he was being

That pretty much sealed the deal

After that he became a lot more open with yours and his "relationship" not feeling shy to show his ownership in front of the others (if they ever even saw you that is)

You were never getting out of this man's sight

The world had become far too dangerous and you were far too special to him

No walker or human would step between the two of you

Not ever

#he/him #male reader #daryl x reader #daryl x male reader #yandere daryl #yandere daryl dixon #possessive love #TWD #yandere walking dead #TWD yandere #Daryl #Daryl Dixon

[notalkingbusiness]

The Book of Carol & The Heroine's Journey - Part 1: The Descent

The Descent sees our heroine in crisis. 

Carriger says The Descent’s trademarks include a broken familial network, the heroine’s pleas being ignored, the heroine involuntarily withdrawing from her community, and the heroine’s family being unable to help her. 

Let’s take these one by one and think about how they could be used in TBOC.

(1) Broken familial network. The heroine’s familial network has been broken – someone she loves is in great danger.  More often than not, someone she loves has been taken from her. 

In TBOC, Carol’s familial network is broken because Daryl has been taken from her. 

Carriger says “If you want to set your heroine into motion quickly, take someone she values away from her” – that’s certainly true for Carol, isn’t it?  Nothing would set Carol into motion quicker than Daryl being in danger.

Carol knows in her bones that there’s no innocent explanation for Daryl's absence.

Carol will have more questions than answers at this point in the narrative, but there's one thing she knows for certain: she'll do whatever it takes to get Daryl back. 

She’ll do whatever it takes to bring the man she loves home.

(2) The heroine’s pleas ignored and she abdicates power.

The heroine needs help in bringing her loved one home.  She needs resources and manpower, but she’s unable to get the support she needs from her community.

Will we see Carol's pleas being ignored? I'm not sure. I guess Ezekiel could say that she’s worrying over nothing.

Or someone could really twist the knife in and suggest that Daryl might not want to come back. It would be untrue, of course, but a comment like that would eat away at Carol.

She'd wonder if she did something wrong. If she unknowingly drove him away.

A naysayer's comment could ultimately make Caryl's reunion all the sweeter when Daryl instantly sweeps Carol off her feet.

A passionate, romantic reunion could put some of Carol's demons to bed forever.

(She is enough. He loves her. He'd never abandon her.)

While we might not see Carol's pleas being ignored, abdicating power is undoubtedly part of her story.  We last saw Carol as one of the leaders of the Commonwealth government, but her loved ones will always take priority over work.  She’ll drop her government responsibilities at the drop of a hat to rescue Daryl.

Normally I’d be a bit wary of a story in which a woman abandons her career for a man, but I was never convinced Carol wanted a leadership role in the Commonwealth.  It felt like putting a square peg in a round hole.  Carol doesn’t have to run a settlement just because that’s what Maggie and Michonne did.  Heroines don’t value power and influence, that’s not what’s important to them.

Love is the most important thing to a heroine. They want what’s best for the people they love. They prioritize keeping their loved ones safe and happy above all else.  That’s Carol’s whole personality in a nutshell, right?  Carol’s love has always been and will always be her superpower. 

In TBOC, I’m hoping Daryl asks Carol what she really wants. 

Spoiler Alert: Carol doesn’t want to go back to her desk job at the Commonwealth.  She wants to build a life with Daryl.  She wants new adventures with him.  

(3) The heroine’s withdrawal is involuntary.

The heroine is motivated by the desire to protect her loved one, rather than a desire to travel or seek glory.

This follows on nicely from the point I was making about Carol and leadership – about what Carol wants and values.  Carol’s withdrawal is involuntary because it’s not like Carol has a burning desire to see France.  (New Mexico, on the other hand ...) But if France is where Pookie is, that’s where she’ll go.

Carol has always been driven by love; glory has never been on her radar. We've seen this on the flagship show time and time again. She'll pull off these amazing stunts and she'll still be wondering if she's done enough. Case in point - remember the moment just before the Terminus hug? 

Carol emerges from the woods wordlessly and cautiously. She keeps her distance from the group.

My reading of this scene?

I think, even after saving everyone, Carol was bracing herself for another rejection. Carol was ready to drop Daryl’s crossbow and melt back into the trees, if that was what her family wanted.  She was not expecting a hero’s welcome.

Carol loves fiercely and selflessly, always putting others first.

We need to see Daryl putting her first in TBOC.

We need to see Daryl being as devoted to Carol as she is to him. 

(4) The heroine's family offers aid but no solution.

The heroine’s family is sympathetic, but they can’t solve her problems for her.  They can’t bring her loved one home for her.

I’m not sure how much TBOC will provide on this front, both because of filming constraints and other complicating factors.  I don’t know how much Carol would tell Judith and RJ about her mission.  And, let’s face it, they’d both try and join her if they knew Uncle Daryl was in danger. 

But Carol could have an honest conversation with Lydia.  For instance, Carol could explain the situation to Lydia and ask her to look after the kids.  Lydia wouldn’t want Carol to go alone either.  But Lydia could agree to hold the fort because she knows she’s not ready for a mission like this, not after her recent amputation.  This would very neatly hit the “family offering aid but no solution” beat.  Also, Carol and Lydia screentime was sorely missing in S11 so I’d be very happy if that could be rectified in some small way in TBOC.  I’d love to see Lydia acting as a sort of confidant for Carol. 

Heroines value their relationships with other women, and I really hope TBOC recognizes that central tenet of the Heroine’s Journey.  

Final Thoughts on The Descent:

The Descent will be a bittersweet watch if TBOC is taking Carol's emotions and motivations seriously - if they're not afraid to show just how much Carol loves Daryl. The joy of having Carol back on our screens will be counterbalanced with Carol's deep emotional turmoil. Carol's going to be thinking about all those people she's loved and lost, all those people who went missing and never came home.

TBOC is inherently an emotional journey for Carol - Melissa McBride should be taking the lead when it comes to the emotional core of Carol's story. She's spent over a decade with this character - she knows Carol's headspace and heart space better than anyone else. She is absolutely essential in ensuring character and story integrity.

Over to you!

What do you think Carol values most in the world?  What are her most powerful motivations?

If you’re in favor of TF cameos, who do you think Carol should interact with and why?

Do you have other ideas for what you’d like to see during The Descent section of Carol’s journey?  (Don’t be shy! There are no wrong answers or silly questions.)

Thanks for sticking with me :) I hope you'll join me next time when I'll be talking about The Search.

#caryl #carol peletier #twd caryl #melissa mcbride #the book of carol

[queenvidal]

The Girl Who Never Cries

Negan x Reader (Rick's Daughter)

(Not my gif - found it on pinterest. If it's urs, contact me for proper credit)

Chapter 2: Pissin' Our Pants Yet?

Chapter Summary: A fun target practice with Carl quickly turns into a revealing conversation with the leader of the Saviors, maybe he’s not a monster after all. Despite an almost empty pantry, Negan isn't hostile towards you, quite the opposite and it's unsettling, to say the least.

Wordcount: 4405

Notes: I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes or wrong spellings, English isn't my first language.

- Part 1 of the The One And Only Series - Takes place during the beginning of season 7.

Chapter Index: Chapter 1 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 (End)

Masterlist / Negan x Rick's Daughter Series

"Eyes on the target, Carl." You remind your brother, but his head keeps turning towards the gate. It's the Saviors' second visit and it's putting him on edge.

You, on the other hand, are almost calm. Everything you and the other scavengers gathered last week is hidden, safe and sound in the sewers. Rick voiced his concern, but you did not listen. Darly, Michonne and Sasha also got your back and that convinced the rest of the town as well.

And if you really get caught, you'd take the blame without hesitation. If that's what it takes to keep your family safe, you'd do it gladly.

A few items were brought to the pantry, the Saviors have to find something after all, but your actual good stuff will stay with you. The trip to the mall went south pretty much the second you stepped out of your car but you came home, severely injured and about to pass out on the spot but you made it back.

You found enough food to feed the town for at least a few weeks and even got your hands on a few winter coats. Your family won't freeze this winter and this alone will be worth the scars.

Carl turns his attention back to the four green circles you've drawn on an old tree, your makeshift target. With a sigh he goes back into position, raising one of your throwing knives in the air.

"Your elbow needs to be higher." You advise, correcting his posture gently. "Okay, try it now."

Carl rolls his shoulder back before throwing the knife towards the tree. It's hitting the outer circle of the target.

"Nice!" You exclaim, smiling at him proudly. "You're getting better!"

Your brother returns your smile, huffing a laugh. He hurries to retrieve the knife again, eager to continue. He gave up on the training after he lost his eye, thinking he'd never be able to hit anything, but you were stubborn.

His mood got worse and worse after his slow recovery and it was breaking your heart. You pushed him forever until he finally agreed to at least try again. You both had to start from zero again, but you didn't mind. All you cared about was to take his mind off his doubts and see your baby brother happy again.

Carl returns to your side, assuming the same posture you've just shown him. He takes another swing, hitting the second ring of the target.

Jumping you shout out in joy. Ignoring the pain of your bandaged leg you hug him tightly to you. "See?" You ask, smiling from ear to ear. "All you needed was a kick in the ass."

"That's been just a lucky shot." Carl tries to downplay his accomplishments but you won't let him. "Even if that was true, you're far from being a lost call. I'm so proud of you!"

When you two let go, Carl goes back to the tree for the knife. When he turns to come back to you, he freezes on the spot, his eyes focused on something behind you. Starting to get irritated, you turn your head.

Negan.

The head of the Saviors is making his way towards you two, his second in command following him. Carl rushes to your side, taking your hand.

"Look who we got here, Simon? The girl who never cries." Negan chuckles. Carl squeezes your hand tightly, he's scared.

"Good morning", you greet the men, keeping your voice as even as possible. "Our Dad's helping at the pentry."

"Oh, I know, sunshine." Negan takes a few steps closer to you, looking over your bandages. "But I'd rather speak to you."

You turn your attention back to Carl. "Go home, I'll be there in a minute." Carl opens his mouth to argue but you shut him down immediately. "Now!"

Carl glares at you and Negan for a moment before he lets go of your hand. When you take your knife back from him, Negan reaches out for it. "May I?"

You hesitate for a second before you hand it over. Carl rounds you to go for your house, when the guy behind Negan gets moving, too.

You're about to interfere, when Negan steps in front of you. "Don't worry, Simon won't hurt him." He explains to you. "He'll just make sure nothing is hidden at your home."

You watch your brother and the other guy heading for your house until they're out of sight.

"What happened?" Negan's voice makes you turn your head back. He's pointing at your leg.

"Last supply run got ugly." You tell him, crossing your arms. He's still looking at you with a raised eyebrow, waiting for you to elaborate.

"I've been to a mall and when I went to a closed off section, I got surrounded by walkers. They were way too many to fight so I booked it. Running would have taken too much time so I slid through a broken glass door. I came home with more shards than cans."

And that's not even a lie. Your jacket shielded your arms and torso but your pants ripped into shreds. All the adrenaline dulled the pain, but once you sat in your car and took off, it was unbearable.

The bigger shards you were able to remove on your way home, but you needed equipment for the small and tiny ones. The two days trip back to Alexandria felt like an eternity. You didn't sleep, nor eat until you've been inside the walls. Carl helped you as much as he could to remove the glass from your flesh. Eventually you blacked out from the pain and woke up with him asleep next to your cot, your leg fully wrapped.

"Is that why the pantry is next to empty?" Negan asks you, sounding somewhat reproachful.

You frown back at him. "Not for the lack of trying."

His expression softens and he lets out a heavy sigh. "Sorry."

Wait, what? It was barely audible but you're sure you've just heard the leader of the Saviors excuse himself for snapping at you.

"You good at it?" He asks, changing the subject and nodding towards the tree.

"I am." you affirm with confidence. You're a good enough shot with a gun, but with your knives you're unstoppable.

Negan smiles at you. "Prove it." 

Within a blink of an eye you remove another knife from your belt and send it towards the target. The man beside you whistles in approval. You missed the bullseye only by a few inches. "Damn!" He turns his head back at you. "Show me?"

With another knife removed from your belt, you show Negan how to stand, one leg out, shoulder rolled back. He mimics you but when he's about to throw you intervene.

"Waitwaitwait." You blurt, preventing him from letting go by grabbing his wrist. "Not there!" You adjust his hold on the blade. "You'll slice your palm that way!"

He looks at you with raised eyebrows and you release his hand immediately. With a faint blush on your cheeks you look at the target. "Learned that the hard way", you whisper.

He lets out a quiet chuckle before throwing your knife. It's landing on the grass far behind the tree. You have to fight a smile, not even Carl managed to miss that badly.

"You gotta be kidding me." Negan curses, looking at the tree in disbelief.

You remove your last two knives, holding one out to him. "Wanna try again?"

He takes the knife without a word. And missed again. You hand him your last knife, unable to fight your smile any longer.

His eyes stay on you for a second before he tries again. This time he's actually hitting the tree but is still way too far from the green rings. "Unbelievable. How hard can it be, when even that one eye gets it done?"

"Lots of practice." You explain. "I've been teaching him for two years now." You go retrieving the knives, so Negan can try again, you can feel his eyes on you the whole way.

Once back at his side, you show him how to stand again. "You're bending your back too much", you explain. "Your foot is too far out and your elbow too low. A good stance for slicing throats but not for far off targets."

Negan tries to correct himself but you see he has trouble finding out what you mean. Without thinking you push against his back, forcing him to stand straight and lift his elbow gently like you did Carl's. Your both eyes meet and you take a step back again, heat coloring the tips of your ears. "Try again."

He does and hits the space between the two outer rings. "Ha!" He shouts, grinning from ear to ear. His hazel eyes look back at you and you feel stupid for even noticing their color. "Not bad", you rasp, clearing your throat awkwardly.

"Ouch," Negan places one hand on his chest, acting hurt. "Where is my cheerleading hug?"

The heat on your ears intensifies and you cross your arms again, trying to play cool. "Reserved only for people with handicaps."

"What a shame", Negan jokes before throwing again. Hitting only slightly lower this time. He seems in a way better mood now.

"Thank you for leaving my room untouched." You hear your voice say before you can stop yourself. The Saviors took a lot of furniture when they first came to Alexandria. Carl's and your fathers bedroom were completely empty, but yours was still the way you left it.

"Figured you had enough shit your way as it is." Negan replies, throwing again. "Despite common belief I'm not a monster."

It's hard to believe but you find yourself wanting to. "Well… thanks."

"See, that's why I like you." He turns his attention from the tree back to you again. "You don't take shit for granted and recognize privileges."

Feeling bold by his compliment, at least you think that's what it was, you look back at him, meeting his hazel eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." He says, throwing the last knife.

"Why did you skip me?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You were terrified, your eyes searched for your brother, when one of the Saviors pushed you to your knees. Carl was kneeling next to your father, on the other side of the line. You were held between Abraham and Daryl, both men looked just as scared and defeated as you felt.

That's how it's going to end, you thought, your father's bad decisions are finally catching up on you. You were almost equally angry as you were scared. No matter how vehemently you disagreed with the attack on the satellite station, you were about to die for it regardless.

And then the door of the RV opened, revealing the man your father believed he had killed when attacking the station. "Pissin' our pants yet?"

It got deafening quiet, the only things you've heard were your rapid heartbeat in your ear and the dirt under Negan's boots as he walked the line up and down.

He introduced himself to the group, his baseball bat tightly held in his gloved hand. Your father looked up when Negan stopped in front of him.

"Rick, right?" He asked. "I'm Negan. And I do not appreciate you killing my men. Also, when I sent my people to kill your people for killing my people, you killed more of my people. Not cool, not cool."

Chills were running down your spine and your blood was running cold, was he about to kill him?

"You have no idea how not cool that shit is." Negan continued. "But I think you're gonna be up to speed shortly."

He talked about a new world order and about working for him but you barely catched it, too focused on cursing your father out in your mind. You swore to yourself that if you made it out of this alive, you'd leave the group for good, as you should have done years ago.

Negan kept swinging his bat in front of Rick's face. "You don't really think that you get through this without getting punished now, do you?"

This made your head snap up, paying more attention again.

"I don't wanna kill your people, just wanna make that clear from the get-go. I want you to work for me, you can't do that if you're dead, now can you?"

Negan started pacing again, swinging his bat dangerously close to everyone's faces. "But you killed my people, a whole damn lot of 'em, more than I'm comfortable with and for that-" His feet came into your field of view. "For that you're gonna pay."

Your stomach dropped and you refused to look up.

"So, now." He started again. "I'm gonna beat the holy hell outta one of you. Let's find out which one of you gets the honor."

Negan crouched down in front of you and out of the corner of your eye you could see Daryl trying to come closer. You signaled him to stop with your hands behind your back and he did.

Your face got lifted by Negan's ungloved hand beneath your chin. He smiled at you. "Any volunteers?"

Despite your broken relationship you still expected your father to at least say something but everyone remained quiet. You never felt more abandoned than in this very moment, with your life at the mercy of a new enemy your father made.

Finally Negan let go of you, slowly pacing down the line. You dared breathing again, your eyes searching for your father.

He looked at you with tears running down his face, sorrow and regret written all over his features but all you could do was glaring at him.

Both of you turned your eyes to Carl, when Negan stopped at him. "You had one of my man's guns." He said, Lucille pointed at him. He also crouched down in front of Carl. "Shit, you're missing an eye?"

You felt your heart drop. Everyone but Carl , you screamed in your head. You'd rather die than to lose him.

"Bet you're quite a burden with an injury like this. Might as well put you out of your misery right now-"

"No!" You screamed in an inhumane voice. Daryl tried to hold you back but you were stronger, it took one of Negan's men to put you back on the ground, kicking you in the stomach.

"Uh-huh, get her back in line." Negan ordered his man, who dragged you back between Daryl and Abraham. "Alright, listen. Don't yall ever do that again, I'll shut that shit down, no exceptions. First one's free." He pointed at you. "It's an emotional moment, I get it."

Carl looked at you with tears in his eyes, you could not tell if they were for you or because he was scared. All you wanted to do was to comfort him but you couldn't.

"That's your kid, right?" Negan asked Rick, gesturing between him and Carl. "Now that's unfortunate-"

"Stop it!" Your father yelled, finally saying something.

"Hey!" Negan yelled back. "Don't make me kill the future serial killer, don't make it so easy on me."

Negan's eyes darted back to you and he paused for a moment. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke again, "I simply can't decide." He came back to you, Lucille on his shoulder. "But I got an idea."

He pointed at you with her. "Eeny."

That's been a bloody joke. You couldn't believe it. Negan made his way down the line and back up to you. He's been about the end of the rhyme and you followed along in your head. Glenn was 'you', Darly would have been 'are', making you the-

"It!" Negan finally exclaimed. You looked up, expecting to see Lucille pointed at you but instead she's in Abraham's face. Relieve and terror washed over you, followed by guilt.

"You can breathe, you can blink, you can cry. Hell, you're all gonna be doin' that!" And Negan raised his bat.

You turned your head away, focusing on Daryl, his eyes also not leaving yours. With your heart hammering against your ribcage, you forced yourself to focus on your breathing.

Screams, crying and pleas followed the sound of what you assumed was Abraham's body hitting the ground. You couldn't make out actual words, only the desperation in their voices.

You were shaking, whether from fear or anger you couldn't tell. You tore your eyes from Daryls, when you heard footsteps again.

"Well, shit." Negan's voice cut through your spinning mind. "Look at that."

He leaned down on his dripping bat, forcing you again to meet his eyes with his hand. "Not a single tear?" He looked at you in awe. "Your eyes are not even glossy."

You held his gaze, unwilling to give in. "What's your name?" He asked but you remained silent.

He pointed his bat towards Carl, his eyes not leaving yours. "Y/N." You finally whispered.

"Y/N", Negan repeated, his face splitting into a smile. "You have bigger balls than any of the sorry shits here. How come everyone around here is weeping but you're not?"

You looked around and found everyone crying, Sasha was sobbing violently and that broke your heart. "I don't cry", you whispered again, meeting his eyes.

"Never?"

You shook your head and Negan's smile grew even wider. He let go of you again, chuckling. "Well, fuck me if that's not the most badass shit I've ever heard."

He raised to his feet again and addressed the group. "Now that's fucking awsome. Bet you assholes rely on that girl, don't cha?"

You looked back at Daryl and found fury in his eyes, he was trembling. You shook your head at him, silently pleading not to do something stupid.

Negan noticed Daryl, too, standing in front of him. "Bet you do more than the others, right? What would you do if I took her with me-"

Daryl didn't let him finish, connecting his fist with Negan's jaw. Two men tackled Daryl down to the ground again and you were sure Negan's killing him for it.

He didn't, he killed Glenn instead and after a tour with Rick in his RV, he finally got his men moving and they all left. You hugged your brother for what felt like hours, making sure he was still there. Carl cried into your shoulder and you tried to calm him down. Your father tried to talk to you but you ignored him, until Daryl pulled him away from you two.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"You noticed?" Negan's voice is bringing you back from your memories. Fidgeting with the hem of your shirt, you nod.

When you look up, Negan doesn't meet your eyes and you're afraid you've crossed a line. But you need to know, it's been bugging you ever since.

Finally he lets out another heavy sigh, looking back at you. "You would have died for the kid and that didn't sit right with me. Think of me what you want but I don't kill family in front of an kid's eye."

You believe him, you don't know why but his words sound sincere in your ears. It's certainly not what you expected to hear but it's something.

Slowly you make your way to the tree, getting your knives for the next round. You hand them to Negan again. "Now it's my turn for a question."

"Yeah?" You look at him expectantly.

"You really never cry? I'm no expert but that shit gotta be unhealthy." He misses the tree again, cursing under his breath.

"I stopped crying shortly after the dead came back." You remember. "At first to be strong for my brother, he's been just a child back then. But when we had to run from the monsters for the first time, I quickly realized I can't see shit that way. In order to keep Carl alive I forced myself to stop. Haven't cried ever since."

Negan misses again. He's clearly paying more attention to you than the target. "You're brother means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

You nod in conformation. "The only reason I'm still here."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When your group returned to Alexandria, broken, tired and with two people missing, you dragged yourself into your house. You plopped down next to Judith's crib and watched her sleeping.

After an hour you peeled yourself up from the floor again and grabbed the bag under her bed. You made up your mind. Back in your room you started packing. You were so deep in thought that you didn't notice Carl behind you.

"You're leaving?" His voice was full of pain and it hurt you deeply but you didn't turn around, afraid he'd make you stay, like he did last time. When you didn't answer, he knocked your shirts out of your hand. "Y/N, talk to me!"

Finally you met his tearful eyes and your heart sunk to the ground. "I can't stay."

"Of course you can! We need you!"

Shaking your head, you drew a deep breath. "I honestly don't give a shit anymore. Dad's getting more and more people killed and I'm so sick and tired of it!"

Carl crushed into you, hugging you tightly. "We'll figure this out. We always do."

You bit down on your lip, blinking away the wetness in your eyes while clinging to your brother. "I almost got killed and he did nothing."

That hurt you the most, not Abraham's or Glenn's deaths, or the fact that their deaths could have been avoided if your father had listened to you. No, it was the crushing feeling of being abandoned.

"He did!" Carl said, letting go enough to be able to look at you. "He wanted to stand up but I begged him not to."

You didn't believe him. You wanted to but you couldn't. "This shit almost got you killed, too, Carl. I can't, I'm going."

"No! Y/N, please." But you tore yourself away from him. With your bag zipped up you left your room. "I love you", you said without looking back.

With two cans of whatever from the kitchen you made your way to your car. A Mini you bought from your first paycheck. The same car in which you picked Carl up from school, on the day the world went to hell.

You threw your bag in the trunk and got moving. In front of the gate you yelled at Eugene to open it up. He asked you where you were going.

"On a run." You lied. When you were about to hit the gas, the door at the passenger seat opened up.

"Out!" You yelled, when your father took the seat. "Out!"

"Y/N, please listen to me-"

"If you don't get the fuck out of my car-" You growled, shaking in anger. "I swear to God-"

"Hate me as much as you want, but please listen to me, Y/N", Your father begged.

You gripped the wheel with both hands, refusing to look at him. "I give you one minute."

"Please don't leave! I know you have every reason to but I can't do this without you."

Your knuckles are turning white. "Should have thought about that before you attacked Negan's men."

"I know I fucked up, alright? And I have to live with it, but I can't lose you, too. You're my daughter and I love you with all I have."

You shook your head. "Too little, too late. Out."

You drove off and kept driving until the sun went down. You had no idea where you were but you didn't care. Away, that was the only thing you cared about.

But against all your intentions, all your doubts and thoughts, you returned to Alexandria two days later, your car filled with cans and water. Eugene looked at you as if he'd seen a ghost, when he opened the gate for you. You saw Daryl running towards you and it made you smile for the first time in ages.

You just had enough time to stop the engine, before he tore your door open. He pressed the air out of your lungs, when he hugged you to him and out of the car. You let your head fall onto his shoulder, the last bit of anger you felt over the last days finally leaving your body.

Hushed voices and mumbling made you look up, about the whole town was gathering around you. Who didn't look at you in disbelief was smiling.

Your father pushed himself through the crowd. He looked even worse than on the day you've left. His skin was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes.

Daryl let go, so that Rick could reach you but you took a step back. You could see your father's heart breaking again but you didn't care. "I'm doing this for Carl."

He nodded. "He'll be glad you've changed your mind."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You look back at the target, Negan missed again.

"You're brave, you know that?" Negan's voice catches your attention again. "Not many people would do what you did."

You shrug nonchalantly, "Everyone should speak up for their loved ones."

He chuckles at that. "That's why your lover boy punched me?"

Lover boy? You cringe involuntarily at that word. Daryl and you love each other but certainly not in that way. "He's like a brother to me", you explain. "I don't have a lover boy."

"That so?" Negan asks, missing again. "Fucking shit!"

"Negan!" A voice called, both of you turn around to look at the source. "All clear", Simon confirms, coming closer.

Negan's looking back at you with a satisfied expression. "Wouldn't have expected otherwise."

He orders his second in command to get to the gate, before turning back to you. "Listen, I do acknowledge your will on making this shitshow work and your physical exertion doesn't go unnoticed either, so I am not going hard on anyone today."

He steps closer to you, more than you're comfortable with, but you keep your eyes on his, not moving an inch. "But the situation in your pantry is a joke that I can't laugh about. And I can't have that again. I'm doubting you're the only scavenger in this community, so you better make your team work harder and most importantly more efficient."

You nod your head, biting your cheek. "You'll get more stuff next week."

His stern expression morphs into a bright smile again. "That's why I prefer speaking to you, no objections, no excuses. You understand how this shit is working."

When two Saviors pass you, bags full with cans in their hands, Negan turns on his heels. "Till next week, sunshine."

Chapter Index: Chapter 1 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 (End)

Masterlist / Negan x Rick's Daughter Series

#The Walking Dead #negan smith #negan x oc #twd negan #negan #negan x reader #negan / reader #rick grimes #carl grimes #michonne #daryl #daryl dixon #fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 #twd

[mydarllinglover]

Alone || The Bridge

Previous

The next day, Rick, Michonne, Natalia and Daryl travelled to The Hilltop, Rick and Michonne had rode on horse back whilst Natalia had managed to convince Daryl that she was okay to ride with him on the bike, she wasn't safer with anyone more than him.

Maggie had greeted them, as the horses were dealt with, a mark was on her upper cheek, and she looked tired, her eye was bruised.

Natalia was angry when Maggie had told them what Gregory had done the night before, preying on an sobered alcoholic, who had just lost his son, to kill Maggie, so that he could take her place.

Rick had gone to talk to her, but also to talk to Maggie about help with the bridge, that he'd also managed to rope Daryl into joining.

Natalia had volunteered to watch Hershel as they talked, explaining that she needed to catch as much baby fever as she could, and no one was better at that, than little Rhee, one of the most adorable babies known to man.

"See, you're great with them, they love you." Michonne said, as she bounced the baby on her knee. "Now just imagine two of them."

"Michonne, you're killing it." She warned, closing her eyes and trying to get back into the mood of being excited for a baby.

"It don't matter If you get it or not, we're having them either way." Daryl said, as the pair watched the woman.

Natalia pouted, turning the baby to face her.

"Why, Hershel, why does bad things happen to me?"

He cooed in response, grabbing at her hair.

"Who am I kidding, you're so cute." She hugged him to her.

Maggie had decided that Gregory was to be publicly hung for his crimes against their leader, but also for causing Enid to face injuries so severe that the poor girl was resting in a wheelchair.

It was being held after all the children had been put to beds, torches were lit as the people were stood around, and Daryl was the person who had been asked to set the ordeal up.

Tammy-Rose and Earl were stood behind him, he was handcuffed, and looked disgusted with himself for his actions, Earl was a kind man, who had been influenced into making a horrible mistake.

"I don't want to do this." Maggie started, talking to the people. "But people need to understand that at Hilltop, the punishment fits the crime. Do you have any final words?" She asked the man sat on top of a horse, a noose around his neck.

"What you're doing isn't right. Somebody stop this, please. Killing me In the dead of night because you're ashamed." Gregory sobbed.

"You're wrong. I'm not ashamed." She told him, before nodding to Daryl.

"Stop this! Please! Now, for the love of God, stop it!"

Two children had wondered out, looking at what was happening.

"Maggie, stop!" Michonne cried, catching Natalia's attention as Rick held her, stopping her from running ahead.

Daryl hit the horse hard, it let out a whine as it marched ahead, causing Gregory's body to fly in the air, his neck snapping at the force.

"Get the children back in bed." Maggie ordered. "I made this decision. But this is not the beginning of something. I don't want to go through it again."

A wave of Nausea came over Natalia as she watched Gregory's dead body swing through the air, like a depressing pinata.

She jogged away, a hand over her mouth as the bile rose.

Michonne raced after, to help her friend.

A month had passed since the hanging.

Natalia was four months pregnant, and she was already growing bigger than her clothes could handle, everyone had been pretty heavy on her case about letting it go for so long, the signs were all there and she tried her damned hardest to ignore it.

She had started living in dungarees.

Daryl was pissed that he'd already missed a chunk of it, well, of what they were aware of, Rick had everyone working hard at the bridge, camping out, and her husband was the one in charge of keeping the Saviours in order, as they were doing most of the work, once again dragged away from his wife and kid.

Natalia was in Sully's old bedroom, they were converting it into the nursery, or Natalia was, to keep herself busy, considering no one would let her do anything, she was the first person to carry twins since the world fell apart, and currently the only pregnant person, and the people took the saying "It takes a village..." Very seriously. She also wanted to get it done before she was too big to finish it.

She was sad that she had to decorate the room, she missed him terribly, she missed her old life, her old family, the pregnancy was reminding her a lot of the start of everything, what she had gone through by herself, that she'd lost two babies to the world, the universe must've thought this was some cruel joke.

"Mom! Uncle Rick's here." Evie called from downstairs, she was doing some school work in the kitchen, before bed.

"Tell him I'm up here." She called down, Natalia had just finished painting the room, choosing pastel colours, they were going to be finding out the genders soon, though Natalia had betted on girls, she had a dream about it, she was certain it was girls, but Siddiq was busy at the camp, he hadn't been able to do the scan yet, she'd have to wait until he got back, she'd be ready in about two weeks anyway, the "official time".

"Hey." Rick greeted, standing in the doorway of the nursery.

Natalia was sat in front of a pile of wood, attempting to start the build of the crib, she had decided that they were going to have one big one, she heard once that twins didn't like being separated.

"Hi." She let out a sigh, sitting up as she looked at him, offering a smile.

"You getting on alright?" He gestured to the wood.

"We've known each other long enough, that it would just be rude to lie to you, right?"

"Lemme take a look." He entered the room, "The colour looks nice."

"Thanks, Daryl said I could do whatever I wanted in here, he's been too busy to, y'know." She raised her brows.

Rick sat down beside her.

"I want you to join me, tomorrow." He said. "I want you to see what we're up to, the bridge, you should see the building process, the future we're building for these ones." He looked at her bulging stomach.

"You sure that's a good idea, little weak delicate me on a building site in the middle of the woods?"

"Nat." He eyed her. "There ain't nothing weak or delicate about you, we've known each other long enough to know that."

She chuckled.

"Thanks, Rick."

"Also, I'm gonna ask Siddiq to come home, to help out with, y'know."

A bug was going around, so Natalia had been on house arrest anyway, until it passed, in hopes that she didn't catch it.

"Alright, let's see if we can manage this." He rubbed his hands together, rolling his shoulders. "Oh, that reminds me."

He looked behind him, grabbing the two things he had sat on. "Found these, wanted you have 'em for the twins, a gift from their Uncle Rick."

He handed her two teddy bunnies, one was a soft green, the other a baby blue.

"Thought they'd go with Sully's that Evie keeps in her room." He explained as she stared at them, her heart melting.

"Rick, thank you." She turned, wrapping her arms around him as she hugged her friend, the man she had first grown close to in this world, the first person to take her in after so long alone.

"Okay. We got this." Rick said, when she pulled away, picking up a piece of wood. "God, when me and Lori were putting Carls crib together, we both ended up in tears." He smiled.

"I bet he's laughing at me right now, the little twerp put a curse on me" She laughed, reminding herself what was in the letter in the drawer of her bedside table. "You know, if one of them turns out to be a boy, I've been contracted to name them CJ." She told Rick, who smiled, but it hadn't reached his eyes all the way.

It had taken the pair most of the night to put it together, Evie had ended up taking herself to bed considering both adults were stressed and frustrated at the furniture, but they successfully managed it.

Natalia placed the two teddies in the crib, ready for the next five months.

"Pregnant lady coming through, back up, make way." Rick told the people as he guided Natalia through.

She was dressed in a light wash, blue pair of jean dungarees, a white tank top underneath, one advantage she found, was her boobs were getting bigger, too.

"Rick, people can clearly see what I am, A and B are more than enough of a obvious sign." She gestured to her swelled abdomen, as people backed away.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Daryl had dropped the stuff that was in his hands staring at Natalia.

"I asked Nat to come." Rick took the heat from the ill-tempered archer, who was only growing more impatient the bigger his wife was getting, more protective and obsessive over her well being, as well.

"Nat." Aaron greeted. "Good to see you." He hugged his friend, minding out for the bump. "And you guys, too." He said to her stomach. "Lil Erin and lil Aaron."

"Hey, how's it going, you boys hard at work?" She grinned, Rick patted her shoulder as he went off to get updates from everybody else.

"Of course." Jerry came over, "Aarons just been telling us all horror stories about Gracie, that means double the trouble for you pair, with these munchkins."

"Alright, alright, get your paws off 'er." Daryl nudged the gathering people away, pulling Natalia towards him. "How long you staying?"

"Only a couple days, Rick wanted me to see every body in action, and to get some fresh air, away from all the sick people." She reached up, kissing his cheek. "And I missed you."

He scrunched the side of his face up, embarrassed of the PDA around everyone, especially the Saviours.

"Missed ya, too, an' Evie."

"Oh, she's still supplying baby names, Carol was wrong about her feeling left out, that girl won't shut up about having baby brothers and sisters, poor Judith's the one who's gotta listen to it all day."

"Come on, Imma get you a seat, sit in the sunshine whilst we get back to work." He told her, taking her hand and leading her towards his tent.

"Do you have to go back so soon, I just got here." She held his waist as he picked up a camping chair.

"Sorry, baby, gotta get that bridge down, so I can get home." He grabbed her hand again, leading her towards the construction.

Daryl had sat Natalia far away from the work, the tree's and anywhere she could find danger, but so that she was in his sights at all times, he'd even left her a canteen full of fresh clean water and a few snacks, that she tried refusing at their short amount, he'd also coaxed Carol into keeping the woman company, Rosita popped in from time to time, so had Tara, they had to pull Eugene away when he had started making the woman uncomfortable with his "Pregnancy facts."

"You thought about names, yet?" Carol asked, stood beside her.

"We don't even know the genders yet, gotta wait two more weeks, but me and Rick got a lot done in the nursery last night, he came over and helped me, when he offered about coming here." She explained.

"Awe, little Dixon babies, I can't wait." Carol let out a tiny squeal as her hands balled up into fists, shaking in excitement. "How are you feeling about it, compared to last month."

"Better." Natalia admitted. "I guess that's mostly down to the fact that I had to accept it, and had no other choice, I'm still shit scared, I just... I keep thinking about Lori, and what Carl and Maggie had to do, if something like that were to happen..."

"Natalia, stop. It's not going to, that was a completely different time, a very unfortunate setting, we have medicine, and we have the right equipment, and Siddiq's been training Enid as well as Evie, so she's gonna be there as well, if anything goes wrong, it'll still be okay, I promise you." Carol layed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Carol." She smiled up at the woman.

Henry had been on water duty, in charge that each person only had one cup each, that was until Justin got greedy, pushing the kid to the ground as he drank out of the tap.

Natalia jumped from her seat as everyone else looked at him.

Henry got to his feet, taking his stick as he knocked the man to the ground.

"Back off!" He told him.

"Hey man, it's cool, I got my ass handed to me by a kid one time, too." Another Saviour, Jed laughed at him. "Of course, I was 6 at the time."

Natalia headed over as Justin got to his feet.

"What the hell is your problem?" She called after him grabbing his arm, as he went for the boy, who went about his business.

"Stay out of it, bitch." He brushed her off, harshly, sending her falling to her ass.

Aaron ran to help her as Daryl grabbed Justin.

Laura and Carol had got to her as well, making sure she was okay.

"Hey! Leave 'em alone. Get back to work." He ordered.

"I don't need your people telling me what to do." Justin replied. "You're not my babysitter anymore, go deal with your whore of a wife."

He turned to walk away, but Daryl grabbed a hold of him again, causing Justin to turn and throw a fist, but Daryl managed to dodge it, throwing his own into the man's face, sending him flying into a large pile of sand.

He grabbed a handful of sand, chucking it into Daryl's face, temporarily blinding him, giving him the advantage he needed to push him to the ground.

The men began fighting as the Saviours gathered around, chanting.

When Aaron left Laura and Carol to assist Natalia, going to aid Daryl, the man who had teased Justin, threw his fists at him, dragging him into a fight.

"Hey! Hey! Break it up!" Rick shouted, running over with Eugene, pushing people out of the way. "Get back."

Rick grabbed Justin, pulling him away as Daryl tried to get past him, to throw another punch.

"I said enough. Enough." He turned on Daryl, as Justin was being restrained.

Daryl wiped at his nose, spitting blood as he went in search for Natalia.

"Thanks." She muttered to Laura, who had taken over fully as Carol went to check Henry.

"You alright, he hurt you?" Daryl asked her, checking her over.

"I'm fine, I'm more worried about you." Natalia replied, leading Daryl away and back to the camp, Rick had followed them.

"So, that asshole just gets a free pass? Is that it?" Daryl questioned when Rick had come to talk to him in the tent. "He pushed Nat!"

"It's just a few more days." Rick pressed. "I don't like it, either, but we're in a rush to get that work done. He's strong. The Saviours are over half the workforce, and we've had too many walk off's already."

"Yeah. 'Cause that's who they are." He turned back around. "Some of them ain't ever gonna fall in line just 'cause you say so."

"Daryl's right." Carol backed him up, Natalia was sat down, watching the three like a tennis match, her hand rubbed her stomach, the denim was covered in dust from getting pushed to the ground. "These people have never had to live together. And we can't expect them to just forget what's happened."

"It hasn't been easy. I know. It won't be, not for a while, but it's not about forgetting. It's about moving ahead, all of us, together. We keep doing that, they'll see we're all on the same side." Rick pushed.

"Are we, though?" Daryl questioned. "Are we on the same side, Rick?"

"Well, you tell me."

"Thing is, man, I've been tryin' to. But you don't seem to want to hear it. Nat, come on, you're gonna stay in my tent till you're going home." He helped her up. "I ain't wanna be on the same side as anyone who has it in their right mind to push a kid and a pregnant woman over, but guess that's just you." He told Rick, leading Natalia out of the tent.

"Daryl." Rick called, but they both ignored him.

"That was so hot, baby. The way you were defending my honour." Natalia looped her arm in his, leaning her head against his arm.

"What you after?" He looked down at her.

She smiled up at him, batting her lashes.

"Come on, grub time." He told her, leading her to the food tent, Natalia groaned, hitting her head against his bicep.

"Mood killer." She grumbled. "Where's Rosita, haven't seen her in a while."

"Out making noise for the herds with Arat." He answered.

"Oh, ditched me for the rat." She said, bitterly, even though she'd been talked out of killing the woman, she was still holding a grudge, a lot worse than the one she had on Laura.

Aaron and Daryl had been moved to work away from Justin, working on cutting up the tree's and storing them.

Natalia had stayed with them, watching as she ate up her food, and Daryl's, and Aarons, even though he wanted her in the tent, he was never able to deny the woman.

The horses were beginning to get spooked as they went about their work, walkers were approaching.

"I got it." Natalia sighed, picking up her knife that was beside her as she got to her feet.

"Stay." Daryl ordered, picking up a small branch and stabbing it into a walkers head, before turning for the other, but Natalia beat him to it, plunging her knife into the second walkers head, dropping it to the ground.

"I told you to stay" He fumed, pointing at her.

"And I told you I got it, which I did."

"Uh, guys!" one of the workers called, a herd was heading right for them.

"A herd's coming, bug out, now!" Daryl told the others.

Against Daryl's protests, Natalia had helped take down the closest walkers as the others evacuated.

One of the saviours had dropped the rope that was supporting a large trunk, letting it fall as he jumped from the stack.

Aaron had pushed the man helping him, away, letting it land and crush his own arm, screaming at the agonising pain.

"Aaron!" Natalia cried, dropping her latest walker kill and running for him.

"Get them mules out here!" Daryl pointed, following. "You, get over here right now!" He shouted at the Saviour responsible, as he got ready to lift the heavy log.

"Alright, it's gonna be alright, Aaron, you're okay." Natalia rambled.

"Go. Get out of here!" Aaron told them, as the walkers approached.

Natalia ran forward, taking the closest ones to them out, so they could continue helping the injured man.

"Come on. Get up. Get up!" Daryl encouraged, when Aaron was set free. "Natalia, come on!"

She was too preoccupied.

A walker had grabbed a hold of Daryl, attempting to take a bite out of his shoulder before an arrow shot through its head, from Beatrice.

The others had gathered, helping with the walkers.

"What the hell is Nat doing?" Rick asked, as she kicked a walker down.

"What the hell does it look like?" She turned to him.

"We got this, get him back to camp!" He decided, turning to Daryl and Aaron.

When they had got back to the camp, Carol and Rick had started chewing Natalia out for her recklessness, before she had brought up that someone was slacking on their job, turning their anger away from her, and onto Justin.

Carol had been the one to have it out with him, he was her responsibility after all.

"Daryl?" Natalia asked, when he stormed out of the infirmary, his arm dripping in blood, that wasn't his.

He ignored her, marching to the tent Carol and Justin were in, and then not even a minute later, Justin came tumbling out, Daryl on his trail as he shook his fist.

He punched him against a tree, then picked up a copper pan, smacking it against his head, hard.

"Daryl, stop!" Carol called.

Natalia felt like she stepped in enough, she was too caught up admiring the show.

Daryl grabbed Justin by his shirt, throwing his fist at the mans face, repeatedly.

"Daryl!" Carol grabbed, him stopping him from hitting the man again. "Daryl. I said stop." She hissed. "We'll deal with him, but not like this."

"There's only one way to deal with these assholes." He walked back to the infirmary, and Natalia followed, wanting to check on Aaron, who had recently got his arm amputated by trainee, Enid, who had to follow a tutorial from her book.

"How's he doing?" Natalia asked.

"Well, just be thankful Evie's too young to do this kinda stuff." Enid said. "Luckily he's just asleep, breathing."

"You done a good job." Daryl told her, taking the seat beside the bed.

"You want me to check you and the babies over, you've had a pretty hectic day." Enid offered, as Natalia let Daryl guide her to sit on his lap, as they watched over Aaron.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine, A and B are as well." She smiled as Daryl rubbed a soothing hand over her bump, like he was trying to calm himself down from the fight. "Doctor Enid."

"You gonna call them A and B the whole time?" Enid laughed.

"That's what they are, this one is A" She pointed to her left. "And this one is B. Oh shit, or was it the other way around."

Enid laughed as Daryl tried to figure which was which as well.

"What do you think they are?"

Natalia looked at Daryl, wanting him to answer first, running her fingers through his hair

He shrugged.

"Long as they're alive an' breathing, I don't give a shit." He said. "But, one of each would be fine, be easier to tell the difference."

"I think they're gonna both be girls." Natalia said.

"How'd you know?" Daryl looked at her.

"Saw it in a dream."

He scoffed at that.

"No, I actually read that, that during pregnancy, mothers can actually predict stuff like that, but apparently you can tell as well, by the size or something."

Later in the night, Cyndi had come in for her hand, that Enid had to fix, she sliced it whilst peeling potato's, or so she said.

When she had left, Rick entered.

"Well done." He whispered to Enid, as Aaron continued to sleep. "He's gonna be all right?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "If we can keep the wound from getting infected. But he's still in a lot of pain."

"He's holding on, though." Daryl told him.

"One tough son of a bitch." Natalia repeated one of Daryl's most used phrases.

"Damn right I am." Aaron whispered.

Daryl patted Natalia's leg, signalling for her to get up so that Rick could take their chair.

Natalia did, kissing Aaron's cheek, before her and Daryl let Rick sit down.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." He told the man. "We were all supposed to be working together. I thought we were."

"You couldn't have known." Aaron reassured him.

"I've been pushing everybody hard. I know I have. I put this project first. And you paid the price. Hell, Nat, she's been all over it as well."

"Remember when you said I wasn't weak and delicate." She mentioned.

"It was worth it." Aaron said. "When the dead started to rise... I thought I was seeing the end of everything. But you changed all of that, Rick. It's not the end of the world anymore. It's the start of a whole new one. I'll always be glad I was here to be a part of that. Anyway I gotta be around to see the mini Dixons wreck just as much havoc as their parents, too." He joked.

"Don't worry, gonna hire you as a full time babysitter if they're anything like their dad." Natalia teased, grinning wide.

"You got it." He nodded, his own smile on his face, even through his pain.

Daryl had encouraged Natalia to go back with Rick during the night, if she refused to go with him, Daryl would've taken her back, himself, today was enough to scare him back into putting her on lockdown, again.

"Hurry up and get this bridge done, so you can come home, Siddiq's back so we can have that scan pretty soon, and I can prove that dreams do mean something." She told Daryl, cupping his face as she kissed his lips throughout her sentence.

"Trust me, I'd rather be at home with you, Evie, A and B" He poked her sides. "Over anything, ya giving me leverage to not beat the shit outta another one of those pricks."

"I love you" She kissed him again.

"Love ya, too."

"Alright, are we gonna get goodbyes too, or are ya wasting them all on him?" Rosita asked.

"Yeah, I want a goodbye kiss from the pregnant lady that went up against a herd." Tara joined in.

"I too would like that, if you're offering." Eugene raised his hand.

"Ain't nobody getting any kisses off of Nat, 'Cept me." Daryl told them, he was attempting to come off more threatening than he did, but a grown man getting jealous and saying the word "kisses." Wasn't as imitating as he thought.

Natalia hugged her friends goodbye, a long line of people who came to love and care for her.

"Was pretty cool what you did, today." Laura told her, as she walked past her. "A bunch of these pussies could borrow some of your bravery." She looked around at the Saviour men.

"Thanks." She offered a half smile. "And for the bridge, Keep an eye on Daryl for me, trust you a lot more than I trust them, I'm gonna need his help pretty soon."

"You got it." She nodded.

"Hey, I'm glad-"

Natalia walked away from Arat, completely ignoring her existence.

"She killed my dog." Natalia muttered, when Rick gave her a look as they set off.

"You went up against a herd of walkers, like that?" Michonne asked, they were in the Grimes kitchen, something had happened at camp the next day, and Rick had gone back to deal with it, Evie was occupying Judith, she wasn't allowed into "work" just in case she passed the bug onto Natalia.

"What was I supposed to do? Aaron was hurt."

"How'd Daryl handle it, he go berserk like usual?"

"He was actually more mad I fought off one, it was Rick and Carol that shouted at me. Maggie fought in a war and I can't take out a few walkers?"

"Maggie wasn't eating for three, you're bigger now, than what she was throughout most of her pregnancy." Michonne tried to put it gently.

"Still, I got a few months left in me before I'm totally useless."

Next

#daryl dixon #daryl dixon smut #the walking dead daryl #twd daryl #carl grimes #carol peletier #daryl fanfiction #glenn rhee #michonne #rick grimes #daryl x you #daryl x y/n #daryldixonalonetwd #darylxnatalia #aaron raleigh

[thebluemoonjune]

The Elegance of Resilience Chapter 3: Bottled up

Chapter 3: Bottled Up

Summary:

With Lori's and Shane's unwelcomed interruption, Rick and his estrange wife get into it with a war of word since the two have come with demands.

"Rick, I'm taking the twins inside. They shouldn't see this. I'll be right back."

Michonne took André and went on her way.

"Good, She's gone!" Lori's face lit up. She smirked in satisfaction, as if she'd won a game.

Rick watched Michonne's weary footsteps take her away. Only when she was out of sight did he turn to look at his estranged wife.

"Your trespassing."

"My children are here. How does that count as trespassing? Don't be dramatic, Rick."

Rick rubbed his temple before putting his hands together. He did his best to stay calm.

"Why are you here?"

"I already said I needed to talk to you."

"About what? You're not welcome here." He softened his voice so the people inside wouldn't hear him, but he sure said it with all the disgust he could muster.

"You're bringing your mistress and her children around my kids?"

Rick's eyebrow twitched. He took deep breaths and gathered his thoughts.

"I took my sons and girlfriend to spend time with the rest of my family… Is that what you wanna talk about?"

"No, but since we're on that subject, I don't want your mistress around my children."

"Michonne and I are together. She's gonna be in their lives whether you like it or not! You gotta lot of nerve when you brought lover-boy here! I don't owe you shit, Lori!"

Speak of the devil. As if waiting for a chance, he opened his mouth for the first time.

Shane Fucking Walsh!

"Rick, man… We just wanna to talk. I know you don't wanna see-"

"Shut the hell up, Shane! Don't make this about you; this ain't about you!"

If there's anyone Rick would've died for other than his family, Shane Walsh would be it. They had known each other since they were seven years old. He was his best man and his children's godfather. Before his father, Herschel, Daryl, or Michonne, Shane was the one he told about anything and everything, including his issues with Lori. Shane was a ladies' man. He ran, and they chased. It's not hard to understand since Walsh was a strapping, well-built man with a strong; yet handsome face. He enjoyed every minute, parading a new one at the hip every few weeks. Rick often tried to convince him to settle down, but he'd say he wasn't ready.

When Rick found out he and Lori had been sleeping with each other for so long behind his back, all he felt was utter betrayal. It wasn't his wife that hurt him most, but the man he'd loved like a brother. Of all the women at his disposal, he had to go for his wife.

"I don't have time for this shit! Say your piece and go!"

Lori fell speechless for a while. The tone in which Rick spoke to her left nothing to the imagination. His visceral reaction shook her. Her hands began to clam up as she bowed her head, her mind desperately searching for the right words. When they still had a relationship, it didn't matter what she did. He'd always find a way to deal with it calmly. He didn't want to be the type of husband who resorted to a screaming match trying to solve problems. She hated it. Sometimes she just wanted to have a regular argument with her husband. Lori, however, never imagined he'd have this in him.

"I asked Shane to drop me off because I needed to see you. I also wanted the three of us to talk. We really should."

"And you thought coming here was the best place to do that? Wow, Lori."

"You wouldn't give me a chance!" she sighed, folding her arms. "I know this is hard for you, but we have kids. It's about them, about Judith, and how we move forward; it's about what we want out of this divorce."

"You've got some nerve, Lori! How could you stand there and preach to me about my children? How dare you?"

Rick's nostrils flared as he stared at Lori, his face contorted beyond recognition. He couldn't believe she had said that to him. He rolled his shoulders back. He didn't even notice Michonne making her way to his side or his parents and uncle coming out to see the commotion. His mother called out to him, but he couldn't hear. Even though he was outside, it's like everything was closing in around him. His mind burned larger and larger with absolute rage.

He was about to burst when he felt a tug at his shirt. It was then that he finally noticed her next to him. He could even see his cousin Maggie peeking out the window. Rick turned around, meeting his mother's eyes, and quickly looked away, not wanting to face her concern.

His Father walked to the four, letting his stern yet low voice loose.

"I don't recall inviting you, Lori. I'm surprised you're here. I thought Rick had Carl and Judy for the next few days. Was I wrong?"

Arthur Colton Grimes, at age 65, is a rigid, straightforward, and no-nonsense man. He spent over 25 years in law enforcement, serving 10 years as King County's sheriff. He looked like an older version of Rick; their personalities, however, were completely different. Rick was more like his mother, Grace, who was open, friendly, and kind to others in need, at least before everything happened. That wasn't the case for the older Grimes.

When Arthur spoke, everyone listened. The man's face was expressionless, but his blue eyes stabbed Lori.

Michonne kept her view on the man. She much preferred dealing with her boyfriend's mother. It wasn't because he'd been distasteful or showed dislike towards her, but because she felt small whenever he'd been around. She remembered the first time she met him at the hospital. He wore cowboy boots and jeans like Rick often did, and though they looked alike, he held none of Rick's warmth. He'd stared at her with the same null expression directed at Lori; Michonne, sure he could see through her.

She knew that look well, as she'd borne witness to it her entire life.

Rapping her hand around Rick, she nuzzled herself under his shoulder, bathing in his heat. Lori, caught off guard, was left standing without a word. Her eyes darted up and down. Before she could utter a sound, Arthur cut her off.

"You wanna talk to Rick, huh?" He stroked his beard, continuing in a monotonous voice. "Mhm, you can, but why are you causing a ruckus… Hmm?"

Resting his foot on the picket fence, he pointed to the large farmhouse.

"There are children inside. My great-niece and nephew. My grandkids, which include yours. This ain't Rick's house or your little boyfriend's. You wanna talk to Rick? At least act like you got some goddamn sense and do it properly."

"I wanted to talk to Rick about next week and everything else. It wasn't my intention to disrupt things. I couldn't get in contact with him, so I came here." She stood still, her pupils dilated and her respiration shallow, trying to settle herself.

Arthur turned to his son, eyebrows raised to high heaven.

"You ain't spoke to her? Why?"

Michonne didn't give Rick the opportunity. "He's been busy. Dealing with everything, you know?".

Rick let out a chuckle, turning his face from the involved parties.

"Then speak. I don't wanna hear you." Withdrawing from the conversation, he returned inside, pulling his wife and brother-in-law with him.

"Shane and I had a discussion... If Judith isn't yours, I wanna give her Shane's name."

"Excuse me? What?"

"He deserves that, Rick. I just wanna do the right thing. Judy deserves that."

"When you were screwing my best friend behind my back for an entire year, that you tryna do the right thing? I raised Judith. She's mine regardless. I don't need either of your bullshit."

Michonne pulled Rick's arm, desperate for the conversation to stay on track "Rick-".

But before she could finish, Lori heckled him. "The same child you demanded a DNA test for. We could have worked it out like you promised. You're the one who left, not me. We may not know about Judith, but you sure showed me."

"Rick, I know things between us are rough, man." Shane took off his hat before rubbing his dark hair. "But if she's mine, I'm gonna be in her life, and I'm gonna be a father. You've already started another family, man. Don't you think it's horseshit? Look, man, I'll fight if I have to; a fight you ain't winning."

"Fuck you!"

"Rick, Stop!" He was brimming with hostility as he marinated in resentment. Michonne's irritation began to crackle regarding the three and their childishness.

"Lori, all of these are things you're supposed to communicate with your attorney. You and Rick can find common ground when your opposing counsel parleys." "I didn't speak to you."

"No, but given that my partner is involved and you came here unwelcomed, I will certainly address you. You can take this as a little free advice from an attorney. You coming here was foolish. If I were Rick's attorney, I would have a field day. Coming to his family's property and harassing him while there are children, including your kids, that you didn't even ask about. Damn! Go home, Lori."

Nearly suffocating at a loss for words, rapid blinking ensued as one tried to process what she'd heard. She'd been completely taken aback by it. Her blood quickened. Inwardly, she was seething.

"I'll call you. I expect you to answer your phone." That's all she managed to articulate before turning on her heel and hopping in the car. Shane followed soon behind her.

"Let's go inside."

...

The day had already gotten off to a tiring start, though it was only a quarter past ten. Michonne knocked on the door to Beth's room.

Herschel Greene had two daughters, Bethany and Margret. Beth was his youngest at nineteen years old, while Maggie was twenty-seven, two years younger than her.

The door opened, and the young lady greeted her with a white, bright grin plastered on her pretty face from ear to ear, and her green doe eyes flashed with expectation.

"Your back!"

"Thanks for watching them."

"No problem!" Beth moved closer and asked in a hushed tone. "Are they gone?"

"Yeah, they're gone. The kids didn't hear anything, right?"

"No, but I'm sure Carl knows. He's thirteen. I'd been Jude's age when I started realising my folks' problems, even if they did their best to hide stuff. He's been quiet, real quiet. Judith's been playing with Herschel and Hana. The twins fell back asleep. I mean, he's a teenager. Can't be easy watching your parents divorce. It's been going on so long too, I don't know."

She shrugs her shoulders, tossing her sight to the floor. Michonne rubbed her blond hair.

"He's a good kid. He's strong too... he'll be okay. The sooner it's over with, the better it'll be for everyone…I'll leave the kids to their thing. Need to talk to your aunt."

"Alright, I'll call when the twins wake up."

Michonne nodded in gratitude, withdrawing from the discussion. Making her way down the corridor; a soft, young male voice hit her from the back, causing her to come to a standstill.

"Michonne?"

"Hey Angel, what's up?" The boy didn't answer at first. Flinging his head to the side, she could see his gears working over time. She didn't rush him. Her face softened, snickering under her breath, she folded her arms, letting him finish.

"Do you know where Dad is?"

"I do, but he's talking to Herschel and your grandfather."

"Oh… My mom was here, right? And Shane?"

"Why all the questions?"

"Because you're the only one that tells me everything."

Tilting her head, she smirked at his little quip.

"She did. She left about 15 minutes ago. With Shane."

Carl stood without moving a muscle, as if rooted to the spot.

"They're in the barn."

"What?"

"Your old man, Herschel, your grand-dad... They're in the barn."

His ears perked up, and like a dog with two tails, he hastily drove his body downstairs to the front door.

"Hey, Carl!"

He halted. "Yeah, Michonne?"

"Don't take me down with you."

"I'd have to get caught first!"

"Touché!". Tears threatened to fall from her glans as laughter consumed her. He went about his merry way.

What a rambunctious kid!

...

Moving into the kitchen, what befell her was Grace galloping across the room expeditiously. Michonne knocked to steal her attention. The older woman did a turnabout, examining the source. Getting her answer, she bloomed full of the joys of spring.

"Chonnie, you're here! Thank God! Thought I was gonna haul ass all over this kitchen, tryna make it in time for lunch. Would've been on time if uninvited guess hadn't shown up. Come help me with the chicken."

Michonne swiftly made her way over, becoming all hands on deck.

"Do I cut it up? Or are you baking it whole?"

"Cut-ups. What did Lori say?"

"If Shane's the father, she wants to give Judith his name. Shane, however, made it clear that he wants custody, full custody… Even if he hasn't said the words."

"They've got some nerve coming here, making demands. My boy raised that girl. What has that big buffoon of a man done?"

Grace diced the chives. Each dice more menacing than the last, as her temper sparked. She was such a pleasant person. To see her like this was always enlightening to the other party.

"When I got back to Rick, I managed to peep some of what they were conversing about. Lori said something that piqued my interest."

"Hmm?"

"It's about what we want out of this divorce.' That's what she said. I'm not a divorce attorney, but in my experience …"

Grace paused her chopping, her knife pointing to the sky. She pivoted her body to meet Michonne's eyes. Her face smouldering with resentment while anger welled up in her chest. Something else lurked there that Michonne couldn't place.

"You mean what she wants from the divorce?" Grace's eyes narrowed; cupping her forehead with her palms, she looked down. The knife still laying in her hands. "You know, I told Rick not to marry her. They were so young, so different. Didn't know shit. My blood just hadn't taken to her. I remember we got into it... we didn't talk up until the wedding, and even then. He told me he loved her, and if I couldn't accept that, I had no place in his life. Herschel tried to fix things between us, but he's twice as stubborn as I am."

Grace put the knife down on the chopping board, tears streaming down her face. She cried but continued.

" I told him that they would fail, and when they did, not to come to me, how someone stupid like him couldn't be my son. I'd been so ridiculous. After Carl was born, things got better, it did… but it was never the same. When Lori did what she'd done, or when he found out about Judith, He should have felt like he could've come to me. There were Herschel and Daryl, but they didn't have what he needed, and Arthur was always hard on him, ever since he was a little boy… A child should always be able to come to their mother, even if the whole world is against them, but I pushed my baby boy away. What kind of mother does that?".

She didn't move. Grace had trouble seeing through the tears. In the house, she sobbed, still holding on.

"When he got shot, all I could do was pray… It was all my fault. My sins were finally coming back to bite me after everything I said, and my Richard was the price. I begged God to forgive me, and maybe he did. It doesn't matter now; I got my boy back... Richard never did, though. It's okay if he doesn't because he's here; that's all I care about. I need him to be happy, and if that whore of a woman thinks I'm gonna let her hurt my son any more than she has, she's lost her fucking mind."

Michonne was left at a standstill. Her mind was working overtime. While she scoured her brain for the best course of action, Grace, however, dried her face, setting off to her incomplete job as if nothing occurred.

"Rick has never held anything against you. He loves you and Arthur; I know it. The two of you should talk." Grace stopped. Her obs flickered and grew damp, seizing a deep gulp of air before resuming the task. The two women spent the rest of their time together in silence.

...

The rest of the day was peaceful. It wasn't often that kids met up. And though the twins were the youngest of the bunch, they stuck to their siblings, and cousins link stink to a skunk. Usually, Michonne and Maggie would be glued to the hip, but Maggie was nowhere in sight. She came for lunch, although she hadn't eaten much.

Rick helped Herschel and Arthur on the farm while Michonne spent the rest of her day with Grace. By the time nightfall came, Rick was exhausted. He took a long, cold bath. When he got out of the shower, he was surprised to see Michonne still awake. She had gotten off the phone, turning to face him.

"Who was that?"

"My Mom… Dad got some time off, so they're coming next week... after you find out. So Tuesday."

Her Boyfriend didn't hide his uncertainty. Understandable since his relationship with her father left a lot to be desired. She didn't want to sour his mood more than it already was, so she changed the subject expeditiously.

"What's up with Mags?" Rick tossed on a bathrobe before throwing his body on the bed. His head was wet, so Michonne grabbed a towel and dried his hair. "Maggie isn't feeling well, and she and Herschel aren't talking, so..."

He watched her raise her bow in confusion, laying his head on her lap and began twirling her nightgown, after making himself comfortable, he went on.

"Maggie's pregnant."

"Really?"

"Mhmm… and she doesn't want it. Maggie wanted to talk to you about it, but you were busy, so she spoke to me after lunch."

"And I'm guessing Hersh isn't having it. It's not a choice I would make for myself, but I'm not Maggie, and Maggie isn't me. She got married young…became a mom young too. Having two young children isn't easy." She played with Rick's curls, continuing her thoughts on the matter.

"Herschel may be her father, but Maggie is a grown-ass woman. It's her and Glen's decision; he's her husband. He should have a say, not Herschel."

"Mhm. She's gonna have to wait till Glen gets back. That's what I told her, but enough about Maggie... We had a long day. Don't you wanna relax?"

Rick stroked her thigh gently as he stared with an impassioned gaze. His intense gaping made her shiver, leaving her with the impression that she was pinned by him.

"You want us to do this here?"

"We got kids together. Ain't nothing they don't know we're doing."

"Touché, Grimes… So what are we doing?"

"How about I just show you?"

His hand travelled up her thigh, exploring the skin under her nightgown. Her mind began to spin, drunk from his touch. She bit her lip, pulled him over, and kissed him. Caressing his back, her heart beat faster and faster as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

And for the rest of the night, they found themselves in a dreamy soundscape, swaying to each other's tune.

#richonne #rick x michonne #rick grimes #michonne grimes #richonne fandom #richonne fanfiction #richonne fic #michonne #alternate universe #richonn

[antisocial-thing]

💧°Rain pt. 1°💧

°

It started raining. A calm sensation washed over her troubled mind. Rain was the only thing that accompanied her since humanity had fallen. The only thing that hadn't left her. At least not yet.

She'd grown accustomed to the wet feeling on her face and clothes quite quickly. The sound of water droplets eased her nerves. She'd learned to treat it as her friend and welcome it with a smile. Not that she knew how to do that. She'd never had a real friend aside from her father. A faint memory made its way into the back of her mind. A memory of him telling her no one was worthy of her friendship just yet. That she was too special.

Well, that didn't apply to her anymore. She'd become like everyone else. A survivor. A survivor trying to stay alive. Although the reason for that still remains unknown. Why was she still kicking when she had done so many cruel things?

It had been years since the outbreak, however, the sense of hope she knew that was not true clung to her, tearing her apart piece by piece every day. It was destroying her, and she'd unable to do anything with it. She was too much of a coward.

Yet, the rain never left. Of course, it stopped sometimes but it always came back like a boomerang. Maybe she'd gone insane to think about it in that way, to appreciate it so strongly. And mostly - to be so happy about it. Loneliness got to everyone, after all, didn't it? As long as something kept her sane - she wasn't complaining.

°

Sweat was slowly dripping down her forehead, making its way into her eyes, blurring her vision. She had to brush the hair covering her face back to see the way more clearly. She’d been running for God knows how long. There just seemed to be getting more and more of them.

She could see a gas station in the distance. If she managed to lose them, she could hide in there and rest for a minute. Besides, she had a chance to find something essential. She’d been short on water for a while now. The boiling hot weather didn't help at all. She missed the rain.

She caught sight of a tree she could be able to climb easily. That was her chance. Walkers were too slow to notice her sudden disappearance. For them it was like one second, she’d gone into thin air. Bunch of dumbasses. She waited patiently until the last one decided to leave her alone and continue searching for a fresh meal.

A loud sound came unexpectedly from the station that made her squint her eyes and watch the place. It was probably one of the undead.

Oh boy, was she wrong.

“Hey, hey, we won’t hurt you, it’s okay,” coming here turned out to be a mistake. Now she had to deal with this situation. Goddammit.

Two people. A dark-skinned woman and a white guy. Both with weapons, fortunately, not pointed at her. They were blocking the only exit. They had her cornered.

Panic clouded over her mind. She couldn't escape. She swiftly pointed her knife, hidden in a pocket, at them, trying to scare them off what she knew was foolish. She would just anger them further. She stopped thinking logically – the only thing that mattered was survival.

Pull yourself together!

“Wow, there’s no need for that,” the man put away his gun and motioned for his female companion to do the same. She hesitantly complied.

“Are you alone?” he asked, trying to gain her trust. Not a chance in hell he'd succeed. “We need to know.”

“If you’re alone, we have a place, we could help you. It’s not an environment for a kid to be in alone,” Michonne tried to convince her, knowing how it felt like to not trust anyone. She’d been just the same back at the prison.

“It’s none of your business.”

“We have food, houses, and a few meters of a fence. We can take care of you,” he saw it in her eyes. The faint glimpse of hope. It’d been fighting with surviving the cruel world for a long time without rest. She seemed extremely tired. “You can leave anytime you want - we won’t hold you against your will.”

“I won’t give up my weapons,” she quickly demanded, panicking slightly. Subconsciously she reached her gun hidden in her jeans.

“You won’t need to use them. We provide safety for our people,” he smiled softly, trusting his own voice. They could actually help and let her become a part of their community.

°

"Is all this necessary?" the chair in front of the camera felt uncomfortably stiff. Her voice was raspy and also stiff since she didn't have a single ounce of trust for the people standing behind the said camera. Besides she hadn't talked to anyone for months. They were watching her as if she was an animal trapped in a cage. Which was exactly how she felt at that moment.

A man and a woman. Rick and Carol - that was if the names they'd given her were true. She highly doubted it. The woman didn't look dangerous, however, the man seemed like he'd seen things no human ever should. It made him a threat. A threat that must be carefully observed in case anything went sideways during this conversation.

There were four windows and one large door behind her. That was her advantage. If something went wrong, she could just run out the door and go forward to the gate. On her way there she'd seen a few useful branches, she'd be able to use to climb up the wall and escape. Unless something stood in her way, it would be an easy task. They wouldn't get her in time. Nobody would.

"Everybody who wants to join this community goes through the same process", Rick quickly replied like he'd done this a thousand times. Maybe he had. She clearly saw he’d grown tired of it.

"Who says I want to be here?"  

"You can leave anytime you want. We're doing this because you agreed to give our place a chance", she couldn't give in to the false sense of safety Carol tried so hard to feed her. She thought the girl wouldn't notice because she was a woman. She would not fall for these tricks. These days trusting someone was a huge mistake. A mistake she couldn't afford. It might cost her everything.

"Okay, I think we can start. Would you like to tell us something about yourself, or should we ask you the necessary questions?" the silence lingering in the room was enough for an answer for the gray-haired woman.

"How many walkers have you killed?" the harsh question immediately stopped her hazy mind from overthinking again. Before she could even process Rick's words, the answer left her mind uncontrollably.

"I lost count," she didn't like a bit the looks they both gave her. The pity in their eyes. The glance that said no girl her age should experience this. She didn't want it. She didn't want anything from them. And yet, she was here.

"How many people have you killed?" this one was asked with a hint of hesitation in his voice. She wasn't surprised at all. They just wanted to know if she was a murderer. She'd want to know that as a precaution too.

"A few" she was pretty sure that was not the answer they expected. Carol's eyes widened as if she couldn't imagine the small girl killing anybody.

"Why?" Rick's reaction was another story. He saw her as a threat too. At least they had the same opinion about each other now. They both calculated one another with the same cold and scrutinizing gaze.

"Otherwise, I would have been beaten up, mutilated, raped, dismembered, and sure as hell killed," she looked him in the eye as she said those horrible words, the bare truth no one wanted to hear, her raw southern accent making a sudden appearance. "Was my answer satisfying enough, officer?"

She tried not to think about the times she'd met other people. Other bad people. People without humanity. The only thing that made them different from animals was gone and never coming back. The world was now a place of predators and prey, nothing else.

“The last thing – we need to know your name,” Carol cleared her throat in an awkward attempt to end the conversation and clear the atmosphere.

“It’s Blair Cross.”

It didn't matter anymore. The videotape ended here. Something new started inside the walls of Alexandria.

°

#the walking dead #daryl dixon imagine #rick grimes #michonne #daryl dixon x daughter!reader

[wexarethewalkingxdead]

“  i’m not leaving you. not ever.  ”  (from Michonne to Shane)

@we-will-begin-again

softer prompts - @we-will-begin-again​

NO LONGER ACCEPTING!

“  i’m not leaving you. not ever.  ”  

Shane could barely hold his head up as his teeth chattered together. His entire body hurt as if he'd been hit by a Mack truck. Or even a train. He groaned softly as he shifted slightly as he tried to find a comfortable position. The medicine that she'd managed to find for him hadn't done much but lower his fever. "Mich, you need to go. Can't risk you catchin' this. Don't seem to be shakin' it." Maybe this is what would take him out. Michonne's eyes narrowed, lips turned down into a frown. She knew what he was doing, and she wasn't about to let him do it. "I'm not leaving you. Not ever." She reached for the bottle of water and unscrewed the cap. "Drink. Gotta keep you hydrated if you're going to kick this flu."

He frowned, knowing full well that he couldn't convince her to leave. She was just as stubborn as him. Maybe more so. He opened his mouth, allowing her to help him take a drink from the water bottle. He frowned when he realized that was the last of it and that it had been the last bottle. "Should have kept it for yourself. You need it, too."

"Nonsense." She stood and bent down over him to readjust his blankets, pulling them up to his chin and covering his shoulders before she placed the back of her hand to his forehead. "Fever seems to be staying down." She reached for her sword and the small empty pack. "You stay in that bed. I'm going to find us some more water. Hopefully some food. And remember, I'll know if your ass gets out of bed."

He snorted, rolling his eyes which caused his head to throb. He groaned. "Yes, mother," he replied sarcastically.

"Serves you right for being a smartass, Walsh."

#.maildrop [shane] #.muse [shane] #.ship [shane x michonne] #we-will-begin-again