The Greatest Sacrifice - Daryl Dixon

Confused Thoughts

The delicious dinner passed with laughter and smiles all around, what the group had achieved that day was a major advantage on their side but Ally felt uneasy. “I think we should maybe look for a new settlement, we have the resources from the outposts and we can make it safe. Besides Negan knows where this place is so it's just a matter of time before he storms the place. Right now we have the advantage of time to find a suitable location and secure it, we have the weapons to clear a substantial place and keep it safe. We need a back up plan and we need to have it now” she said when she pulled Rick aside after dinner, “We just secured this place, where would we even go?” he demanded growing impatient with her request, “It's closed in but it's not safe, what if Negan comes tomorrow with his grenades and whatever else and blows it to bits? You lose it all” she said and it did make sense to Rick but the thought of shifting his family again was a hard choice to have to make. Ally sat up late circling potential relocation sites on her map. Abandoned outposts with good fences and secure doors and windows, gated communities and even three factory locations that with some hard work would be a good home for everyone here. The map was given to Aaron, he and Rick would go to each marked spot and see if it was suitable to consider as a relocation starting first thing in the morning. She went home and passed right by her own room instead heading up the stairs to Daryl's room where she could hear him rustling around inside. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, waiting for him to answer and when he cracked the door open and saw her standing there he opened it up to let her in. She didn't even know what to say, she just wanted to be there with him where she could relax and be herself. “I can go if you are busy” she said noting the cleaning rag and his crossbow on the desk where he had been working on it when she had knocked, “I don't want you to go” he said and she stepped closer to him, leaning into his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist to hold him tight. This was as close as she'd ever got to a happy place, here she felt she didn't have to be the strong one with all the plans and answers, here in Daryl's arms she could let down her guard and just be. It was a moment before Daryl's arms wrapped around her locking her in his grasp like a cage, he rested his head against the top of her head and she sighed happily. Daryl pulled back first and gripped her cheek in his large hand making her look up at him, “What are you doing to me?” he said as his thumb grazed her full lower lip, “I will stop if you want me to” she whispered but the thought of her being anywhere else but right there in his arms made him feel all wrong inside. He let her go and sat on the bed before laying back on the pillows, the bed dipped slightly as she joined him and tucked herself into his side. “Can I stay here tonight?” she asked and he turned his head to see if she was serious and her expression made it very clear she was one hundred percent serious. “Course you can” he replied and she wriggled closer until she was flush against him. She fell asleep quite quickly but Daryl didn't, he just wanted to watch and marvel at Ally while she slept. When they woke to the sun breaking through the clouds, Ally had her leg wrapped around one of his and her arm thrown across his stomach protectively. She was still asleep when the door opened and there stood Rick and Aaron who were about to ask Daryl if he wanted to join them on their little trip. Aaron grinned knowingly but Rick stood awkwardly not knowing what to think at that point. “What's this now? There a party I don't know about?” Ally asked sleepily as she woke to a room now a lot fuller than she remembered, “No Ally, nothing's going on. You just go back to bed” Aaron said tugging Rick back out of the room and shutting the door. She grumbled as she snuggled back into Daryl, slipping her hand under his shirt to rest it against his warm stomach. She slept for another hour and Daryl felt himself the most relaxed he'd been since….the funeral home with Beth. The thought of Beth brough a black cloud down over his mood, everyone he seemed to care about ended up dead. When Ally woke, Daryl was gone and she felt a little jilted that he'd just left her there alone. No-one knew where he was because he had gone outside the walls alone to clear his head. Ally sighed softly, she had thought that she had something with Daryl but she guessed she'd read too much into an innocent situation and so she left a note in her room and took off in the truck on her way to one of the outposts that lie roughly three days drive through the choked up highways and roads. She had to do something to keep her distracted while she tried to figure out what she was doing and what she wanted and as he shot down a rabbit in the dark woods near Alexandira, Daryl realised that he too was trying to figure out what he wanted. When he got back, Ally's note was on the table where Carol had put it after it was found on the bed in Ally's room.

Back by the end of the week.

Clearing outpost.

Ally.

The note was simple and gave no indication of where the outpost was or what direction she was heading in. Daryl felt as if something important had been ripped from his grasp and tossed into the unknown, Ally shouldn't have gone on her own, what if she got hurt and she was all alone with no-one to help? He would have to wait for her to come back and hope she returned in one piece.