A|N:
Surprise! I decided I didn't want to wait anymore to reunite the Arrow's in the Darkness crew so I've decided to entirely skip City of Darkness and jump straight into the third installment. Which might have some of you going "But Mel woah spoiler alert, so what happens in New York?!" Here is the thing, I decided that since my muse is way more active for this story I'm gonna go ahead and start posting these since the first few chapters don't really give away to much of what happens in CoD. I will be continuing CoD as well so you can figure out what happen to Alyssa while she was gone, and i feel if i don't share this with you guys now i'm gonna lose my ish. So here we go..
Welcome to Of Crossbows and Arrows.
TWD isn't mine.
"Hi Daddy."
Oh. My. God.
Her smile was the same as the day she left him, but everything else had change. She looked older now, must have been at least turning twenty five or twenty six now. Her stance very cautious and her eyes not as soft as they used to be, but she was home and that was all that mattered to Daryl Dixon at that particular moment. He handed is crossbow off to Carl and rushed over to Alyssa, throwing his arms around her.
He could barely find the words to express how he was feeling as he held her tightly, one hand around her back the other holding her head close to her. Alyssa had dropped her crossbow to the floor as well to return the hug. S'this a dream? S'she real? He could hear her whimper as she squeezed her arms around him more tightly. He finally muttered 'Holy shit' only loud enough for her to hear. After a few minutes he too a step back, holding her out by her shoulders so he could take a good look at her. Sniffling back tears he smiled wide as he took a good look at her. "S'really you."
S'her. It's really her. My Lyssa is home.
Alyssa nodded with a smile. Glancing behind him to see Carl, who was smiling back at her, she noticed the little boy hiding behind him. She stepped to Daryl's side, holding her hand to her forehead. "S'that.. that's.."
His head turned around, noticing his son standing there. He wasn't even born yet, God she's missed so much. As he turned back to Alyssa he practically chocked up.
Daryl chuckled with a nod, wiping any tears still in his eyes. "That's 'em alright." As Alyssa proceeded to pick up her crossbow and throw it over her shoulder, Daryl waved to Norman to come closer. The little one hesitated at first, but after a moment or two he listened to his father and joined them. Daryl picked Norman up in his arms, the plastered smile across his face never fading. "Norman, this s'yer big sister Alyssa. The one Marie tells ya stories about."
The hand on Alyssa's forehead lowered down to her face and stopped over her mouth. She reached out to touch the little boys face, he looked so much like Daryl. "Hi Norman, m'Lyssa."
With a smile Norman reached out for Alyssa, who immediately grabbed him out of Daryl's hands and held him close. He held her tight, squeezing her neck and little head nuzzled in her shoulder. Alyssa couldn't help but laugh.
Daryl went back as she held her baby to gather the buck, tying a rope around its legs and dragging it towards them. "You got have'ta come with us, yer gonna want'a see this."
They approached the gate all in a row. Daryl and Carl dragging the buck in tow while Alyssa carried little Norman. He hadn't been able to stop asking her question the whole time they walked back. There was a special connection between them, something Daryl felt like was always meant to be. Like if they always knew each other. Like if she never left.
As they approached the gates to New Hope there was a strange feeling in the air. Daryl and Carl stopped, turning around to see Alyssa had stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes starting at the prison gates in awe. She hadn't been home in four years, and a lot had changes. Taking a moment to look at the gates himself, Daryl realized that everything must have looked so bizarre to her. From the outside it barely looked like a prison anymore. There was a second tall wooden wall built around the old prison fences. A spiked perimeter set up to keep walkers from getting to close, as well as new watch towers to help taking watch much easier.
So much had changed in four years, but not everything.
"No fuckin' shit." From where he kept watch at the front gate, Merle looked down with his eyes practically coming out of his head.
Alyssa walked closer to the fence where Daryl and Carl were standing, holding her hand over her eyes so she could see her uncle better, "So ya just gon' stand there, or ya gonna come down 'ere and say hi, Uncle Merle?"
Merle couldn't help but laugh as he climbed down from his spot to open the gate, and he wasn't alone either. Helping him pull it open was Rick, who had been waiting on his son to return. As Daryl, Carl and Alyssa walked through the gate with Norman and the buck in tow, Alyssa immediately put Norman down to greet Merle.
"Holy shit, pet, is that really you girl?" Merle laughed hugging her.
Alyssa hugged him quick and then took a step back to look at him, "Jesus, old age must be really getting ta ya, ain't it?" They both shared a laugh as Rick approached them. Alyssa smiled at him as she shook his hand, both of them giving each other a nod of understanding and relief.
Carl had given Daryl back his crossbow then headed to the second gate. As he opened it he yelled across the field as loud as he could. "Hey babe!"
Ugh, this shit again.
Alyssa glanced a confused look at Rick and then to Daryl. Daryl just snorted making Rick laughed as he lead them inside. "Trust me, you'll get used to it."
"Pfft, says you." Daryl grumbled following behind them, dragging along the buck with his brother.
The inside of the walls look even more strange to Alyssa. It was really coming together as a home now, so much life thriving behind closed curtains. After all she had been through, it felt good to see everyone was still here and alive. She could see Carl running for a section of white picket fences and tried to see what it was he was looking for. From the ground a sixteen year old stood up and cleaned the dirt of her pants and when Carl pointed in Alyssa's direction the girl looked her way.
Immediately Alyssa knew exactly who that was.
"Alyssa!?" She yelled pushing the little white gate open and running down the hill to her sister.
Alyssa ran to meet her half way, their second reunion in years mimicking the one from their past. Showing her grown baby sister with kisses, she thanked the world that she was finally home and for the first time in four years she might actually be able to breathe again. After a couple of minutes Alyssa and Marie let go of each other, Marie with the biggest smile on her face. "Momma's gonna be so excited, come on!" She dragged her older sister deeper into the prison, turning around to face her family, "Come on Norman!" The little one quickly handed his uncle his long bow and ran after his sisters. When he caught up Marie turned around to pick him up, and together the three young Dixon's walked into the prison side by side.
"Momma!?" Marie called out as she opened the doors to their cell block. Not much had really changed inside. The place looked a lot more homier than it used to, but all and all it was the same place Alyssa remembered it to be. Alyssa followed Marie into Cell Block C. Many unfamiliar faces, and a few familiar ones. Marie had put Norman down, who ran threw the rooms searching for his mother. Turning around to see if Alyssa was still behind her Marie smiled sweetly. "Come on, she's probably in the medical ward." They went down the now fully lit halls of the prison to the medical ward, where Norman had already found his mother and a couple of others. As they approached the room they could hear voices talking.
"So how you feeling today, Maggie?"
"Felt any braxton Hicks yet?" She recognized this voice to be Carols, and Alyssa's heart dropped.
"No not yet, just a lot of fussing and kicking."
Marie and Alyssa stopped at the door, "Ready?" Marie smiled and Alyssa nodded yes. "Okay, wait here and Im'a bring her out."
The younger Dixon daughter entered the room with a big smile on her face. Norman had already beat them their, sitting on one of the chairs in the room. "Hey Momma, there you are."
Carol was finishing up talking to Maggie when she noticed Marie in the room, "Hey Marie, can it wait? I gotta help Doctor S with something.."
"No go ahead, Carol, I got it." The older man called, helping Maggie lay back.
Carol looked at him and when he nodded in reassurance she took off her gloves and followed her to the door, Norman shadowing her closely. "I hope this is important Marie, you know babies don't wait for no body. Then we gotta check on a couple others and I-" Carol stopped talking when she left the room and saw who was waiting for her in the hall way.
Alyssa had been leaning against the wall, facing in the opposite direction of them as she chewed her thumb nervously. When the door shut behind Carol, it caused Alyssa jerk her head towards them. The moment their eyes made contact both woman started to cry.
With open arms and falling tears Carol greeted her oldest daughter. She hadn't felt happiness like this in a long time, neither of them had. "My baby," Carol cried pulling Alyssa in, "My baby is home." As they all reunited, no one had noticed Daryl coming down the hall. He had the biggest smile on her face as he watched Carol pull all three of her children in for a hug. As she cried tears of joy she looked up to meet her husbands eyes. She smiled wide, and he smiled back as he crossed his arms. It was the greatest thing he had ever seen, and now his whole family was reunited at last.
Welcome home, baby girl.
"Marie has been preparing for you to come home since the day you left, she's collected a bunch of clothes and things for you to come to." Carol explained to Alyssa as she carried a sleepy Norman back to their cell block. Carol and Daryl walked together hand in hand, as Marie and Alyssa followed behind them. Of all the sights Alyssa had missed, if that of her father and mother that she missed the most. They were truly what made this place feel like home.
They approached the second floor of Cell Block C, where Alyssa find that everything felt different yet in a way all the same. Directly in front of her was her parents cell, exactly where they left. Instead of a bunk bed there was now a bigger sized bed in the room, as well as a kids bed pushed against the corner for Norman. Alyssa smiled when she saw the room, not noticing Marie tugging on her arm. "Come on, our room is next door." The two of them entered the cell next door, pulling back girly blue curtains to reveal what was basically a prison cell revamped into a teenage dream. The cell was decked out in posters and paintings, clearly done by Marie. Nick-knacks and little things around the room that made it feel like home. Alyssa smiled as she dropped her back down by the floor.
"You must feel so gross, being out there for so long. Gimme that dirty looking poncho and I'll clean it while you clean yourself up.. you probably really need a shower." Marie tugged at the bottom of the poncho in an attempt to remove it but Alyssa quickly pulled away.
"Naw m'gonna keep it on.." Alyssa replied holding the poncho close to her.
Marie scrunched her nose, tugging at the poncho again. "But Lyssa, it's no big deal."
Daryl and Carol heard them arguing and after putting Norman down, the two of them went over to their room to see what the fuss was all about. They found Marie and Alyssa fighting over the poncho, Alyssa with a disgruntled look on her face. "I said no, Marie."
"Come on, don't be a brat.."
"I said no!"
"Girls, stop this shit now!" Daryl growled at them as they fought.
Finally after a few minutes of the two of them played tug of war the poncho, the quilt finally gave in and ripped in two. As the broken poncho fell off Alyssa and onto the floor, the three of them had all took a step back from Alyssa. Each of them with their own shocked expressions as they stared at Alyssa and her small yet very noticeable protruding belly. Marie's hands rose to cover her widely gasped mouth, as Daryl and Carol shared a glance of disbelief.
Holy shit.
They had all hugged her when they first saw her, so how didn't they notice it. How didn't they feel it pushing up against her as they all took their turn in holding her close. How did none of them notice that Alyssa was very obviously pregnant.
Alyssa nervously laughed, putting both hands on her belly as she looked back to her parent only to shrug her shoulders at them. "Surprise?"
Yeah. Some fuckin' surprise!