"I didn't want to stick around if they brought his body out.. I couldn't.." Sakiko takes a deep breath, "It was all to much. Rick and Shane.. Lori.. T-Dog.. Those prisoners.. Everything. I couldn't be there anymore."

Nanami looks to his hands, rolling his fingers around to ignore the ache in his chest.

"I don't know why I ran.. I could've just went to my room and stayed.. Everyone would've understood but I.." she takes a deep breath, "I don't know. I don't know why I did it."

Merle's words ring through Nanami's head and he has to close his eyes. Daryl was gone. But, the three of them were still going. They could still be together in a way. Sakiko could go to Woodbury where it was safe. Then, Nanami would have a real reason and purpose for the things he'd done. The things he will do to keep her safe.

"There's a place," Nanami forces, "A town."

"A town?" Sakiko repeats, "You been hallucinating out here?"

Nanami scoffs, "It's called Woodbury. There's around seventy people there. That's where I'm from."

"Wait.. Seriously?" she asks.

"I've only been there a few weeks, but yeah. I'm out here on a run," he explains, "We could go back there."

Before Sakiko could think too hard, Nanami continues-

"It's a town with walls. It's safe. And no one there knows you except me. Isn't that what you wanted?"

The reference to their time after the quarry gives Sakiko whiplash. She had wanted that. She wanted a place that was safe and she was a nobody. Not the girl that had stolen the guns. Now.. Not the girl that had lost Daryl Dixon.

"It's there. We can go, Kiko."

"Okay," she nods, "Let's go."

--

Daryl was exhausted.

The herd had nearly ripped him apart until he'd crawled into the small storage space. He'd hardly fit there and his bow had to be left outside. He could hear it getting kicked around by the herd and the thought only pissed him off more.

It took forever, but the growls soon calmed down.

Kicking the door open, Daryl falls on his back- his limbs aching from the tight squeeze.

"Son of a bitch," he spits, picking himself up.

He limps through the halls, his bow long gone from where he'd left it. He figures the herd kicked it somewhere, so he keeps walking until he makes it outside.

"Daryl?" the small voice asks.

Squinting in the sunlight, he wonders, "Kiko?"

"No.. Sophia," Sophia names, "How.. We thought you were dead!"

"Far from it," Daryl blinks a few times, adjusting to the sunlight, "Where is everyone?"

"Maggie and Glenn went on a run to find formula for the baby.. Everyone else is inside except me and Axel- we're on watch."

He limps to the other door, Sophia hurrying to catch up to him, "Daryl."

"Huh?" he asks, looking back to her.

"There's something you should know," Sophia nervously informs.

--

Sakiko wished she believed her brother, but she couldn't help but wonder if the months on the road made his mind a little.. imaginative.

Seventy people? The group hadn't seen anyone outside of each other and the walkers all winter and Nanami found seventy?

Had Nanami even said where he found them? How?

"You said you've been here a few weeks," Sakiko recalls, "How'd you end up here?"

Nanami hums, sorting through his words carefully, "They brought me and my friend in."

"Friend?" Sakiko repeats.

"She saved me. After Andrea," Nanami explains, "Her name is 'Michonne'."

"Ah," Sakiko nods shortly.

"We were in a shop for the night. They found us and let us join."

"Just like that?" Sakiko questions, "No questions or anything just.. 'Hey fellow survivors, care to join our town'?"

"Pretty much," Nanami nods.

Sakiko's movements stop and Nanami pauses, looking back to where she stopped.

Anxiety creeped up her neck, leaving her mouth numb as she speaks-

"I want to go home."

Nanami only stares at her, feeling all his purpose leaving. He killed those soldiers, it means nothing if his sister didn't eat that food and carry those guns.

"I want to go home," she repeats, lip trembling, "I want to go back."

"Daryl isn't there," Nanami reminds, the name hurting his own heart.

"The others are.. Ryan, Glenn, Maggie.." she swallows the cry down, "Hershel, Beth, Rick, Carol, Sophia.."

"It isn't safe there," Nanami denies, "Maybe.. Maybe something else happened and they're all gone now, too."

Fear joins Sakiko's nerves, "It was that prisoner's fault. The one they thought they killed.. He's the one that-"

"And who knows what's happened now that Rick and Shane had it out," Nanami tries, stepping closer to Sakiko who flinches back.

The twins keep their eyes on each other- unable to see the other's thoughts despite the fact that they were thinking the same thing. How had they changed so much?

Since when was Sakiko so.. afraid?

Since when was Nanami so.. persistent?

When had they grown so distant?

"I want to go home," Sakiko states again.

Nanami sighs, frustration in his veins. She had to go to Woodbury. Otherwise his sins were purely evil. If she went, that meant he had a reason to do those things. His life would lose it's purpose after what he's done.

"In the morning," he voices, "We're almost to Woodbury. It isn't safe to be out here and it's too far for you to go back in the night."

"I'll build camp somewhere here," she decides, starting to walk off the road.

Nanami grabs her wrist and Sakiko jumps, jerking her arm away at the touch.

"Just come to Woodbury for the night. You can go back in the morning," Nanami pleads, ignoring the scared look in his sister's eyes.

Silently, Sakiko bows her head and nods. Nanami exhales in relief, beginning to walk once more. Carefully, Sakiko follows, keeping what she thought was a safe distance from her brother.

--

"Look, Glenn and Maggie will find her," Hershel coaxes a pacing Daryl, "They went on that run for the formula and to find her. They'll bring her back."

Daryl wishes that helped ease his nerves, but it didn't. His girl was out there, thinking he was dead.. She wasn't in her right mind to be alone and protect herself and-

Daryl lets out a sound of pain, the cut on his leg from the door he'd hid behind opening again.

"See now," Hershel sighs, twisting, "Come. Sit. Let me rebandage that."

"I'm fine," Daryl waves him off.

"You go out there looking for her with an infection, you won't be," Hershel challenges, "If Glenn and Maggie come back without her, you're going. You need to be at a hundred percent before you can do that."

Locking eyes with the elder, Daryl sighs, limping over to the seat and stretching his leg out for Hershel's inspection.

"From one father to another, I understand," Hershel sighs, "You never stop worrying, but you can't help them if you're down and out."

Sitting in silence, Daryl tries not to think about how deep the words cut. Maybe more than the wound on his leg.

"But, you and I have something in common," Hershel continues.

"Yeah?" Daryl forces out, "What's that?"

Smiling softly, Hershel looks up to Daryl, "We both have strong daughters."

Daryl Dixon wasn't an emotional guy. Really. He's seen his fair share of the ugly and painful world enough to not get worked up and let his heart's emotions cloud his thoughts.

Then, those damn twins came along.

Suddenly, Daryl was packing his shit and leaving. He was putting others before himself. He was teaching and helping others grow and learn. He was worrying. He was afraid.

"She's not," Daryl reveals, a single tear slipping down his cheek.

Hershel leans closer to the man that had decided to finally open up, "She's not?"

This was Hershel, Daryl has to remind himself. Hershel knew everyone's baggage- he was the heart and soul of the group. He gave advice and knew just what to say and how to say it.

"We met a few years ago. Same.. Same lives and all, I guess. Things got tough on 'em both so.. So, I was gonna take 'em. Not-" Daryl sighs, "Not like that. I mean.. We were just gonna go. Then, we got stuck in Atlanta and.."

Hershel nods, those kind eyes making Daryl scoff. The man really had a way of making you feel like he was genuinely listening to what you were saying and for the first time in a long time- Daryl felt seen.

"But, she's not my daughter. They were just some kids I met."

"They 'were'," Hershel emphasizes, "That doesn't mean people can't change."

"Can't choose your family," Daryl remembers what Merle had told him years ago after one of their dad's breakdowns.

"Who says that?" Hershel asks.

"Blood," Daryl shrugs, "It's thicker than water, ain't it?"

"That doesn't change the love," Hershel reminds.

Daryl doesn't say anything, only watches as Hershel wipes the bandage around his leg. Once done, Daryl pulls his pant leg back down and stands up to walk away or.. something. He had to do something to occupy his brain.

"Daryl," Hershel calls.

Biting his bottom lip, Daryl fights the urge to run from the old man's wisdom as he turns around to look at him once more.

"Just remember that 'blood is thicker than water'," he repeats Daryl's words.

it felt like a confusing blow to the head and Daryl nearly asked if that was supposed to make him feel better until Hershel begins speaking again.

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," Hershel says again- the full quote this time.

Daryl leans on the door way into the cell block. Hershel gives him a small smile that makes Daryl look to the floor.

"We don't get to pick our family. But, we do pick who we love and cherish like family. Maybe more than family."

"If Glenn and Maggie ain't back by tomorrow, I'm going out," Daryl speaks, finally.

Hershel gives him a nod like he knew Daryl's thoughts.

"Going out to look for my daughter," Daryl finishes.

"You're damn right you are," Hershel gives Daryl another grin.

--

The sight of Woodbury walls made Sakiko's jaw drop. The place was real.. The walls were real..

"Hey, there you are," Martinez greets opening the door for them.

Nanami walks in without hesitation where as Sakiko has to force her feet to move ever so slowly.

"Just in time for dinner," Martinez comments, looking over to the girl, "Bring a friend back?"

Instinctively, Sakiko shrinks in on herself. Nanami notices, stepping closer though that doesn't help her nerves any.

"My sister," Nanami informs.

Martinez's eyes flash in disbelief and before he could say anything, someone else is calling out-

"Hey, son! Bout time you got back!"

Sakiko's entire body tenses, unable to even look in the direction of the familiar voice. Why hadn't Nanami told her? What was she going to say to him? Would he remember her?

As Merle gets closer, Nanami glances to Sakiko- Merle's eyes following. Through her hair, Merle couldn't see her at first. Bending with his hands on his knees, he peers to see her face.

"Oh, oh," Merle laughs, "Holy shit."

Sakiko's eyes finally meet Merle's only more terror coursing through her.

"Well, I'll be damned," Merle grins, "How you been, girlie?"

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

multi updates today bc im on a writing binge for this book and i love my twins hi

DARYLS ALIVE LETS GO

also dont forget that the reason sakiko is freaking is bc shane literally said daryl was dead with no evidence to support him on that and she's sensitive okay

and nanami is being highly manipulated and is v v messed up over killing those soliders, he's looking for any reason for him becoming a murderer to have meaning

was the hershel and daryl moment one of my top 5 fav moments of this book so far? yes yes it is

we deserved more hershel and daryl on the show tho lets be real they had a chaotic but loving bond that is underrated