A few days later. At the camp.

We are a hell of a lot of workers down now. And the bridge wasn't done yet. Great.

Daryl and i weren't talking. Like not at all.

I walked out of my tent and saw Jerry coming my way.

Jerry "Got somethin' for you, jefa. "

I smiled at him "What is it? "

Jerry "Maggie's running down to Alexandria. Jesus thought you should know pronto. "

Me " When did she leave? "

Jerry shrugged " Dunno. Call just came in from the Hilltop relay. "

Me "Did he say anything else? "

Jerry "Just that you'd know what that means. Sorry, girl, that's all I got."

I shook my head " No. No. Thanks, Jerry."

Jerry "your dad's already on it"

I nodded "okay"

Jerry nodded and rid away.

I walked over to my horse and petted his head a little.

Daryl walked over to me " Hey. What's goin' on? "

Me "Maggie's headed to Alexandria. She's about do something she might regret."

Daryl took a bite from his apple " Hop on. I'll take you. "

I raised an eyebrow " You sure? "

Daryl "Yeah."

I shook my head, kinda confused "so you are talking to me again"

Daryl shrugged "never stopped. Just didn't have anything to say to you. now hop on. We'll get there quicker. "

I sighed and nodded.

--

Daryl was driving us down the road.

Me "That was the way, back there. "

He ignored me.

me "Pull over. I... "

He ignored me.

Me "Pull over! Daryl "

He turned the engine off and i jumped off.

I asked confused " What is this? "

Daryl nodded "You know exactly what this is. "

Me "Dad already called it in. Maggie's not making it through those gates. "

Daryl nodded "Yeah, that message didn't go through. "

My jaw dropped"You messed with the relay? "

Daryl "This time, princess , it's gonna go the way it was supposed to"

I shook my head and tried to lift the bike.

Daryl ripped it from my hands.

Me "Daryl"

I went to punch him but he grabbed my wrist and spun me around.

Then i kicked him in the gut and he coughed out before shoving me back.

I took a hold of his vest and he and i rolled down cliff and into a pit.

Damn it.

I coughed out in pain.

Daryl coughed out and looked at me.

I stood up groaning and looked around.

We were in a pit.

Fuck!

--

Me "Those roots... they're the only way we're getting out."

Daryl "Too high up, though. "

I grabbed a root and pulled on it and it came flying out of the dirt" God damn it! "

Then i snapped at him "You set that up that, too? "

Daryl raised his eyebrows "you're really layin' this on me, princess? You're the one that had to go chasin' after her. Couldn't just let things be, huh?"

Me " You know what keeping Negan alive means to us. "

Daryl nodded "Ah. I know what seein' him dead means to her. "

I sighed "Daryl, I get why she can't accept it, I do. - "

Daryl snapped "Do you? "

Me " Her never coming to Alexandria, her hanging Gregory the way she did? I know, okay ? i am not stupid"

Daryl "Well, you sure as hell been acting like it."

I shot him a look "Dar-"

Daryl " Princess, your ass wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for Glenn. He saved your ass many times. He did that. Or did you forget?"

I looked at him confused "is that what you think? that i forgot everything Glenn did for me? He was someone i called my brother, Daryl. I think about him every damn day. Dad does that too. And he hates what Negan did to her. Trust me, he knows what he took from her but it is what he had to do"

Daryl "And she's doing what she has to do."

I asked confused "You're okay with that?"

Daryl asked pissed off " Why the hell wouldn't I be?! "

I yelled "Because you spared Dwight! After Denise, after he used me to blackmail you, after what he did to you! You spared him!"

Daryl scoffed "you can't compare them two to each other"

I scoffed "oh really?"

Daryl "your dad got that guy sitting in a cell like a damn symbol to all them assholes who can't wait to see things go back to the way that they were. "

Me " Dad's keeping him alive is how we make sure it won't! "

Daryl shook his head "No. Keeping him alive is givin' 'em hope that it will."

Me "Michonne talked to her. She came to the camp. She was coming around."

Daryl "Yeah, well, she was tryin'. The truth is, she just couldn't live with it. Just like Oceanside. "

I asked confused "Oceanside? You saying Oceanside killed those Saviors? Arat? "

Daryl "I'm sayin' they got what they deserved. "

I asked pissed off "You knew, and you didn't say anything? "

Daryl "Truth is, I couldn't live with it, either."

Me " If this doesn't work, if she kills Negan, he becomes a martyr. The war was for nothing. Every person who's died, died for nothing. Carl... Carl died for nothing, Daryl. my brother's death would be for nothing!"

Daryl "What about the rest of us? You don't think after all the shit we've been through, we couldn't handle it? Man, you keep askin' us to have faith in all these other people. Truth is, you don't have enough faith in us. "

I shook my head " "You know that's... That's not true."

Daryl " I'd die for you, Kendall."

I looked down.

Daryl " And I would've died for your brother. You know that. But you gotta hear me. You're chasin' somethin' for him that ain't meant to be, man. You just got to let him go."

I shook my head "Dad and I ... we never... we never asked anyone to follow us ."

Daryl nodded " I know. I know. But maybe you should've. "

Me "Daryl, i want Negan dead, okay? i want to kill him myself but i trust my father. I have too."

Suddenly we heard gunshots.

I froze.

Daryl "That's back at the camp."

Me " It's gonna draw those herds. "

More gunshots were heard.

Daryl "Come on. All right. ,"

He intertwined his hands and i stepped on them.

Then He lifted me up and i reached for the root. Then i grabbed it and tried to pull myself up.

Suddenly i heard walker growling.

They fell into the pit.

Daryl "look out"

I held onto the root "Daryl!"

Daryl killed the walkers "you okay?"

I nodded "yeah There's more coming"

Then i grabbed another root and pulled at it "you think you can reach it?"

Daryl nodded "yeah"

Then he started to pile up the dead walkers.

He stepped on them and reached for the root.

more walkers came flying down the pit.

They were reaching for us.

Daryl grabbed the root.

I climbed up the root and out of the pit.

I looked around to make sure no walkers were around.

Then i turned back to the pit "Daryl, you gotta hurry. "

Daryl muttered " I'm hurryin'! "

I grabbed a flexible strong branch and held onto it with one hand while reaching the other hand down to Daryl " Take my hand."

He had trouble climbing up.

Every time he grabbed my hand he slipped from it.

Me " You're almost there. Come on! You're almost there. "

He slipped again.

I pleaded "handsome ... babe... take my hand. please"

He grabbed my hand and i did my best to pull him up.

I breathed out and more walkers showed up.

Daryl "behind you"

I killed the next walker and we walked to road to his bike.

Walkers were blocked one side of the road.

Suddenly Dad showed up in the horse. "go "

Me "wait"

Dad "I'm gonna stay back, lead 'em away from the camp. "

Daryl asked confused "What? "

Dad " I'm staying. "

I shook my head "No, dad ! "

Dad shook his head "I'm not giving up on it, not yet. "

Daryl " The river. Take 'em to the bridge. It ain't ever gonna hold, and they'll get washed out to sea. "

Dad shook his head "No, man, I'm not sacrificing the bridge. I'll find another way."

Daryl yelled " There ain't no other way, man! "

Dad shook his head "I'm not destroying the bridge. We need it. "

I nodded "Fine. "

Daryl "Hey. Be safe. "

Dad nodded "You too. "

Daryl then got on the bike and started the engine.

I hopped on behind him and he drove off.