Angel of death
Everyone knelt there, heads bowed, feeling as helpless and furious as she did. Abraham was dead but she couldn't think about that. She wanted to fight, wanted to do something. But she was terrified. Just as everyone else. Until one of them lifted their chin and stood up.
she looked over and saw the man who she watched take off a few hours earlier stand covered in blood a primal anger pouring out of him with his crimson blood and sweat "oh my god daryl." she thought as he swayed on his feet and took a step forward and punched the man in front of them with everything he had.
And the Next moment he was on the ground negan standing over him "oh my look at that that is a no no not one bit of that shit fly's here." his crossbow held by another man straight at his face looking up at the man they called negan
"want me to kill him right here." negan smiled and Sasha felt sick "no naw you don't kill that not til you try a little." they dragged him back into the line up he growled under his breath.
negan spoke "anyway thats not how it works. I already told you people first ones free. But then what did I say I said I would shut that shit down. No exceptions..." the things he said faded in and out "i want you to know me... so back to it." the bat came down again not on daryl but Glenn and she heard everyone cry out.
but she couldn't take her eyes off daryl its was like the fight he had just crumbled away at the sound of Maggie's screams. she saw rick being taken into the RV but it all blurred when she saw daryl one of the strongest men she's ever seen crumble and cry into the dirt.
before she knew it negan and rick where back and negan told his men to load daryl up. the fight daryl put up was weak at best but he fought again, always fighting back, and was backed into the van and they closed the doors on him negan looked down at rick talking about daryl "he's got guts not a little bitch like someone I know... I'm gonna take him he's mine now..." Sasha tuned out the rest staring from the van they shoved daryl in to Abe on the ground.
Wondering were the hell carol went he would never had been there if she was home to talk him out of it Sasha really didn't know much about what happened before the prison but she knew daryl listened to carol now with her gone he'd spiraled out of control and they all lost him.
Before the van was driven off there was a crash and thumping then a gun shot and daryl came around the corner of the van with a rocket launcher pointing straight at negan he fired and negan was in pieces just like the men they ran into on the road and what was left of negans men all ran off except for Dwight, who had Daryl's crossbow, he dropped to his knees in fear and dropped the crossbow daryl smirked disgusted "told you you would regret it taken my shit I told you, now you'll learn why." Sasha scoffed and everyone stared at daryl Sasha sighed "my god daryl how the hell." he glanced back at the van and smiled into the shadows.
from the shadows came carol and Morgan daryl leaned against the van breathing hard dropping the rocket launcher and mumbled "wasn't all me." carol walked over to him and touched his arm Sasha saw his lip tremble softly carol touched his cheek whispering "it's gonna be okay I'm not leavin' this time." she walked over to Dwight and picked up the bow pulling it over her shoulder she went around behind him and stabbed him in the shoulder bending down talking into Dwight ear "you should count yourself blessed that daryl even took the time to save your ass before, but I wont be so kind cause you see he's a better person then me." she pulls out a rope and ties his hands behind his back and grabs his gun and his knife from his pocket and shoves him down pulling out her knife "nobody touches our family and walks away you son of a bitch not alive anyway." Morgan walks over to rick and pulls him up "come on lets finish what you where out here for get that girl to hilltop."
Carl walks over to Maggie where she is crying next to glenns body "come on let me help you." carol walks back over to daryl and looks back at everyone "who ever wants to go back to Alexandria I'm gonna take him back if not take the RV don't leave them not here." her voice cracks and tears track down her face as she glances over to Maggie and Carl next to glenns body Sasha noticed daryl lean forward to her and uses his good arm to pull carol into a hug his head on her shoulder she brushes her hands in his hair.
Sasha nods "I'll go with you we need people home to keep it secure in case of retaliation." Aaron stood then and Eugene too "we will too." Rosita wiped her eyes "I'll keep the ones going to hilltop safe." rick nodded eyes hollow michonne spoke "meet you guys back home in a day or two." carol held daryl up and nodded "you guys be safe." she lead daryl to a car and sat him in the passenger seat pressing her floral sweater to the wound tying it down with one of its sleeves and turned to the other three pointing to one of the cars "weapons are there from what I saw we'll take that too."
Aaron nodded "i got it." Eugene nodded "I'll go too." Sasha nodded "I'll be your back up since daryl is hurt you could use a third." carol smiled "thanks." she turned to the car and handed daryl his crossbow and squeezed his arm softly and he glanced up at her through his hair and his voice cracked "i..." she crouched next to him brushing a hand across his forehead "ssshh I know. We all know. It's not your fault you did good sweetie. But we need to go okay." he tipped his head in a small nod and she brushed his cheek softly and stood and closed his door she turned to Sasha "thank you for sending Morgan for me I didn't think... daryl didn't seem to... I thought he'd be okay with everyone else there." Sasha nodded "i get it really but he needs you and he only listens to you carol you have to understand that."
Sasha touches the car "ever since the prison he's looked to you for everything you have a bond with him nobody does not even rick he'll only ever need you I can tell." "it's just somethings we both went through before the turn and something that happened in the place we where before the prison he's different now more open I like to think I helped to do that." Sasha nods "you did." she opened the back door and got in carol walked to the drivers side and got in and Aaron's car started.
Sasha leaned back and saw daryl lean next to the center console and carol touched his hand a finger grazing a small circle scar between his thumb and trigger finger carol sighs "i don't want to see another one of these for Glenn okay it's not on you just as Beth wasn't. you where trying to protect everyone its who you are you hear me." daryl squeezed her hand and laid his head back looking at her Sasha saw the reply in his eye's and carol saw it too "okay lets go home." she starts the car and he closes his eyes exhaustion taking over and they drive away when they reach the main road back to Alexandria daryl was deeply asleep laid back in the passenger seat.
carol looked back in the rear-view mirror at Sasha "anyone ever tell you about the farm we where at before the prison. About my little girl going missing." Sasha shook her head "no." carol smiled sadly and continued driving "we got caught up in a herd and these walkers they went after my girl rick led them away but she got scared and ran off and got lost, Carl got shot on one of the searches looking for her so we ended up on maggies farm the search got more organized but after awhile everyone started to lose faith everyone but daryl even I did after a while he believed we'd find her never stopped really but when we did it was to late she was already gone turned into one of those things rick had to put her down daryl couldn't he was holding me back from running to her, whats weird was that he was more stubborn then, more angry, cause we'd lost his brother not long before and he was still like a kid in a lot of ways but after when we found the prison even for a while before he stepped up protected everyone. If you knew him before at our first camp it would amaze you how much he changed he's hardly the same person but none of us are." Sasha gasped softly "god I didn't realize." carol grazed the side of his head with her finger and nodded "yeah nobody would but he fell down a cliff got shot with his own arrow and shot in the head by one of our people and still was able to bring back evidence to show he was on her trail he brought back a doll and that still wasn't enough for the others he even tried to keep looking after he was hurt." Sasha leaned up and grazed daryls forehead "that's what this scar is from the bullet?"
carol nodded "yeah he and Carl both took a bullet looking for my girl it proved they are both strong cause they've lived through a lot in this weird world." Sasha smiled "more like bad ass daryl was made for this world Carl grew up in it." carol pulled up to the gates of Alexandria and flashed her lights and the gates opened and it was none other than tobin he let them through and came up to the car when they parked Eric and Enid came out of the pantry with Olivia.
Eric found Aaron in the back car and Aaron who held up pretty good during everything broke down in his arms Eugene climbed out of the passenger side and walked into the house he and Rosita where living in not saying a thing carol and Sasha got out and carol spoke to Enid and Olivia hearing people filter out of houses "there's guns and supplies in Aaron car we'll explain later we need gauze, sutures and medical supplies and maybe someone to hold him down." carol walked around to the passenger door and opened it daryl was just coming round she crouched down as he howls in pain she brushes his hair away "hey your home we're back now.." she turns to Sasha who was eyeing tobin "Sasha I need help with him." Sasha turns to carol who has daryl leaned against the car Sasha slides under his good arm and carol takes his weight against her holding him up gently they take him into the house they used for their medical problems and Aaron and Eric follow.
tobin hanging back behind on the porch watching through the window as Aaron and Eric ran around picking up the things carol needed daryl unbuttoned his shirt and carol pulled it off his injured arm keeping his back covered "awe pookie he ruined your tattoo." daryl looked over his shoulder assessing the damage "man I knew I should have killed him."
Sasha passed daryl a bottle of water with some pain killers and carol some alcohol with a rag carol poured the alcohol on the rag and pressed it to his back daryl hissed softly but he pushes back against the pain onto her hand with the rag in it she brushed her other hand into his hair for comfort and to check for dried blood moving the rag to clean the blood off his neck and shoulder he tipped his head to help make it easier to clean he touched his shoulder feeling the exit wound his fingers grazed hers smiling softly he grunts softly when she hits the edge of the wound with the alcohol "it's a through and through no bullet to dig out." she nods he feels the movement in her hands.
Aaron hands her the needle and thread and carol looked at Sasha "keep his arm up." Sasha stood in-front of him and nodded grabbing his arm and laying it on her elbow his hand was slack against her carol begins to stitch the entrance wound up when he squeezed her elbow she looked up at him and he sighed "thanks..." Sasha cocked her head and he nodded to carol near his shoulder and she smiled "no problem."carol finished and placed gauze over it and looked up at Aaron "Aaron come hold this here please."
carol walks around the table to his front moving his hand to rest on her shoulder and Sasha watches him brush the skin of her neck softly with his fingers and carol shiver softly as she cleans and stitches the exit wound she grabs another piece of gauze and uses a cloth to secure the gauze to his shoulder then Eric brings a spool of bandage carol unrolls the spool and tucks it under his arm and wraps it securely around the gauze and his chest under his shirt then she has Aaron go grab a button up shirt and when Aaron came back she thanked him and said "okay I got it from here wait just outside okay and Sasha could you gather everyone in the church." Sasha nodded eyeing daryls back still covered with the shirt and back at carol and led the other two out the door running into tobin.
Sasha groaned "dude leave them be its been one hell of a night and morning for all of us and you don't want to get in the middle of them right now. Besides carol said everyone in the church in 20 we'll explain everything." she glanced back through the window and caught what carol was trying to hide on his back, he had scar marks across his back most older than a few years by the way the skin was pulling at the scars and some not she watched as carol slid his good arm through the sleeve and wrapped it carefully over to his hurt arm and slipped his arm through the sleeve and helped him up he staggered slightly and righted himself holding her shoulders and he touched her cheek and she nodded Sasha saw her say "I'm okay really, your right we ain't ashes we'll be okay. we'll get through this together like before."
he smiled and nodded stepping forward right in front of her closer than they ever been she grabbed his cheeks and smiled softly "i care about you daryl and I'm here for you, okay." he smiled knowingly and leaned down carefully kissing her forehead then resting his forehead on hers saying what he wanted with his actions when he couldn't find words Sasha walked down the stairs and knocked door to door telling everyone to meet in the church and she was walking back toward the church when carol and daryl exited the med house and walked toward the church too Eric and Aaron ahead of them she caught them before they went in and rested a hand on Daryl's arm looking up at him "you okay?"
he nods jaw working a nervous tick she noticed he had he shot a look at carol and smirked softly eyes covered by his hair "mmhm gotta be." carol shook her head a small smile crossed her lips Sasha noticed the underlying joke they had with that sentence from carols smile and they walked in together straight to the front of the room carol told daryl to sit in one of the front chairs as everyone filtered in excluding the ones on watch she brushed his hair away from his face and looked up at Sasha "can you tell them what happened I can fill in what I saw." Sasha looked down at daryl who looked so young, sad and tired now that she could see his eyes so she nodded "i can do my best." carol waved Aaron and Eric over to sit with him and squeezed his hand walking up with Sasha to the front and they explained to everyone what happened and how the others that where still alive would be back in a couple days and everything else that would happen they clocked fear and sadness in everyones eyes but since they weren't there they didn't feel it the same way.
Aaron did his best to comfort daryl who rested his face in his hands when the explanation came to Glenn but when he rested his hand on daryls back daryl flinched and shot out of his chair and out the door Aaron shot his eyes up to carol who calmly nodded glancing over to Sasha before she walked out and found him in the corner of the church porch good arm wrapped around his knees injured arm protected between his stomach and legs she could hear soft gasps and sniffles his head down she saw him shake she walked over and sat next him he heard her sit down and leaned against her shoulder laying his head on it she wraps her arm around his back and and glides her fingers through his hair "shh it's gonna be okay." she brought his hand to rest on her heart "hey feel my heart beat focus on that and breathe I'm here for you." she hummed softly a soothing song she used to do for Sophia and he slowly started to relax and his breathing calmed and she glanced up to see some of the others start to walk out thinking Sasha must be done in there they all walked away not trying to stare but where shocked by his unusual show of emotions that they couldn't help it. Aaron and Eric came out and Aaron mouthed the question "he gonna be okay?" she nodded and mouthed "in time, this isn't the first time we had to bury family."
tobin came out behind them and eye'd daryl on her shoulder and she shook her head conveying without words "not now tobin." but he doesn't get the gesture saying "carol can I talk to you." Sasha pushed through the doorway in between tobin and the two on the ground knowing they needed time to mourn and they could actually have it here together unlike so many times before.
she got into his face and spoke calmly "they where with Glenn from the beginning give them some time they survived so much before they got here they only have four people from their original group left now just please go when she's ready she'll talk to you."
she heard someone shift from the ground behind her and mutter angrily "fucking bi-lacho gadjo." and felt a heavy hand on her shoulder "dosta! Said enough!" knowing it could only be daryl he tugged her back softly and stood a head shorter then tobin but stronger even while injured standing nose to nose with the man "she left you man you get that, it was you she left, that life she created here's gone,you don't know her what she's been through I've been there for it, what she's done I was there we did the same shit been through it all since the beginning, with you it was an act nothin' more, she cant be real with you cause you wouldn't understand I do always have." he glanced back at carol eyes soft "we've dealt with deeper shit than the damned dead walking, crazy dictator bastards or even sadistic cannibals the scars run deeper than our skin."
he shrugged the sleeve off his good arm and tugged it to the side and turned his back to them "these scars what she kept from you, their from years of a different life of shit, before all this end of the world shit we've been through stuff most people wouldn't dream of." carol covers his back with the shirt running a hand over the scars underneath and he presses back against her hand contact with her more comforting than ever before she smiles looking up at tobin and the other alexandrians "You guys have all wondered how or why we survived so well together how the two of us could possibly understand each other..." she tugs the bottom of her shirt up uncovering a scar across her side like the ones on Daryl's back "it's because we're the same." daryl pulls at her hand softly making her drop her shirt and leads her down the stairs and they walk to the house he picked for himself so they could be alone.
Sasha stood amidst the stares and confusion she smiled softly and turned grabbing daryls bow from the porch "you know that confusion your all feeling right now I felt that before not the first emotional moment daryl had may be the biggest by far but carol brings it out of him you'd be surprised how she changed him you guys would never have let him in if he was how he used to be he wouldn't have wanted to be here anyway he could survive out there alone before this probably still could he chooses not to, he chose to be with people, chose to be better than before cause of her." she walked away leaving them all speechless she made her way to Daryl's to drop the crossbow on the porch when she walked up she saw them on the couch daryl wrapped around carols stomach her arm wrapped delicately around his head hand tangled in his hair and the other skating up and down his spine protectively and comfortingly.
Sasha smiled softly and quietly climbed the stairs to lay his crossbow on the welcome mat carol must have placed there and she walked away leaving them to the quiet of each others comfort she came across Aaron alone on his front porch who greeted her with a nod watching daryls house himself he spoke "did you know? About them being abused by before the turn, I mean." Sasha sat down on his steps "no I could tell it was something more between them but I didn't know it was that they never said anything to anyone rick knew of course Carl too probably but they all kept things close you know didn't talk about before they where out there in the thick of it for along time lost a lot of people but they had each other you know Maggie told me about how Carl had to kill his own mom because she died having Judith."
Aaron sat next to her and rubbed the back of his neck "Daryl's a lot different then he seems, nobody here ever really thought he cared so much for other people." Sasha smiled "you do right by daryl and he's fiercely loyal I know that much when we where in this place called terminus they where these sadistic cannibal people carol saved us even though rick had banished her for something that happened, but well thats another story, but when we made it out of there and circled back to retrieve weapons rick stashed in the woods daryl heard foot steps before anybody else did and turned to see carol not enough time passed for him to even question what she did he just ran to her and hugged her it surprised everyone even Glenn and rick he never had willingly touched someone with that kind of care before she was the first emotional connection he made with the group other then his brother and she made him realize that even that connection wasn't good for him because of the way his brother treated him."
Aaron nodded resting a hand on her shoulder "you wanna stay with us tonight nobody should be alone." she shook her head "Eugene's alone I need to know he's okay can he come stay too. do you have the room." Aaron smiled "yeah of course we can make room." "I'll go get him." Eugene didn't say much but didn't oppose either and Aaron set them up in the living room who's window faced daryls house Sasha sat in the window seat watching the house quietly hoping against everything that those two got some sleep god knows they needed it.
she saw a light flicker on out on the porch of the house and the door opened and daryl walked out looking down at his bow he grabbed it she stared thinking of what he said on the church porch "gadjo hell thats gypsy daryl what's going on." and he moved to sit on the steps as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes with a frown staring at them carol walked out to join him and handed him a cup of something and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders she kissed the top of his head and he squeezed her hand he tossed the pack onto the porch behind him abandoning one comfort for another and resting the cup between his knees on the step carol sat down at his side and Sasha saw him physically relax in her presence as he fumbled with something on his bow she saw him jerk his hand away like it burned him and stick his finger in his mouth stopping the cuts blood flow carol reached out and grabbed the crossbow and daryl pointed to something on it and carol reached in and twisted it daryl picked up the cup and tossed it back pointing to another spot .
Aaron came up behind Sasha in the window "wow, I didn't think I'd ever see that man relax without a weapon of some kind in his hands or even a cigarette." Sasha glanced up and then back to the others "a weapon in carols hands is like one in daryls at least thats what I've learned cause he the one who taught her to use them. He's got the only weapon he needs sitting at his side, his best one, carol the one he forged with trust and patience. The cigarettes are reminder of his brother I think."
they watched their friends from the window daryl talked about something as he showed carol how to check his crossbow and sight it in he stood up then and dropped the blanket on the porch Sasha gasped understanding what he was doing "shit he's showing her how to use his crossbow you know what that means." Aaron frowned "no what is it." Sasha smiled "he knows he has limits now and he's actually asking someone he trusts to protect him while he heals." Aaron smiles "it finally sunk in for him then that he needs to take the time and he knows he can here this is a good thing he believes this community is safe enough to keep him alive."
they watch daryl pull her up from the steps and grab the box of cigarettes from the porch and sets it on a stump a few feet away with a couple of discarded cans one orange, one blue to balance it Sasha opened the window and their voices drifted in carols soft chuckle drifted in with her words "so for this to work we shooting your cigarettes those may well be one of the last packs in existence." daryl shook his head "sacrifice of a vice its important for this to work besides you said they could kill me, I don't need 'em got somethin' better and you need to know this will help me, Maggie, everyone the pain around here the heaviness of it a lot of it will disappear."
he smiled "'sides I know you hate the smell anyway so thought we could have a little fun hell knows we could use it." he loads the bolt and ties a small piece of fabric to the tip lighting it on fire the light shining into carols eyes and she nodded "for Glenn." he nodded softly "yeah and Abe, Denise, Beth, Noah, tyreese, t-dog, Lori, Jim, Hershel, bob, dale, Merle, Sophia, all the people we lost to get to the here and now lives lost for lives protected from evil, the power of Anat the strength of life, Anhur the Skybearer, The Divine Huntsman and Anubis god of judgment of life and death protect this place and those who dwell within."
Sasha saw the pain of the names he said in both their eyes and his voice crack the slightest bit and turned to look at Aaron who's eyes widened "shit 14 people and more he didn't name right." Sasha nodded "at least twenty more from the prison I don't know a lot of those names they died before my time with them, but I knew Maggie's dad Hershel, her sister Beth and Merle daryls brother who actually died as a hero and bob who was a good man with a hard past and my brother tyreese."
Aaron sighed "god." she shook her head "yeah and I didn't realize, till carol told me but Sophia that was her daughter daryl tried so hard to save her but was hurt and well you know how it turned out cause she's not here." they watched daryl guide her arms where they need to be muttering quietly and he aims it for her "okay pull the trigger."
she did as he asked and the bolt hit right on the mark lighting the pack on fire and it flared brightly before dimming and daryl smiled softly "that was beautiful, Merle would be cussing up a storm if he saw that would have pissed him off wastin a good pack of smokes like this he never got it why our mom did this but I know it'll work, Beth would have loved it though she was a bit of a fire bug that one we lit a house on fire with moonshine before terminus you know but it was all her idea." carol smiled watching as the fire burned the stump slowly she thumped his chest softly "your a bad influence Mr. Dixon."
she put the crossbow over her shoulder and grabbed his hands and pulled him to her stepping up on her toes and kissed him softly and pulled back "but maybe these people need that now they need to see who you can be, that man from the quarry I know you still carry him with you that will get these people to wake up to the danger their in." daryl nodded "you think these stupid gadje would understand other peoples abilities when they want to survive if I did that."
Sasha saw a chuckle stifled as carol brushed her hands across his cheeks "break some shit make some noise you know you need to, to start fresh, these people there like all those people who looked down on you when you where young and they still don't get who you are because they cant get past who you could be who you used to be so lets let them know." he laughed as carol kissed him again and he nodded he didn't need to say it cause she saw the sparkle in his eye "i want to boy I do, but only if you join me lose your mask lets screw around, I got just the things for it." he left her in the yard with a smile on her face.
Sasha called out the window to carol "your unleashing the redneck on this community carol are you crazy." carol turned and looked at them "no this is what we need everyone of us he made me wake up to danger back at the farm with fear of what he was able to do, but you guys thats what these others need the ones like Spencer, tobin, they need to see not all people are good even if they where once daryl can do that he's so in control of himself now he can, a pure heart brought up in an impure life. You wouldn't understand." daryl walked back out carrying a bat and spray paint and a bundle of bolts on his back carol laughed Sasha quirked her head "and just what are you doing with that daryl." he smiled twirling the bat "you'll see in the morning the perks I got from growin up in a bad neighborhood with a gypsy mom and a psycho gadjo father." they took off down the road daryl swinging the bat when they heard a clay pot shatter in the distance.
Sasha shook her head closing the window "shit rick told me about the daryl from the quarry even the one from the farm this is gonna be interesting." Aaron smiled "hey at least their happy I never heard daryl laugh before." Sasha sighed "i heard it once or twice but never like that, you get why their doing it now right. Ricks gone their like children with free rain of the house for the weekend." he nodded.
Eugene spoke from across the room "daryls a bottle of coke all shook up you have to slowly let out the air or he'll erupt all over like that man negans head and the rocket." Sasha stared at Eugene "how do you... how can you tell nobody can figure daryl out how'd you?" Eugene shrugged hands fiddling with a piece of glass "it's not rocket science the man has no on/off switch he's always on but carol she filters the extra energy he runs on bringing him down a few notches making him run cooler more effectively."
Eric came down the stairs then "everyone good here." Aaron turned smiling "better now I think we where discussing daryl and carol." Eric sat in the chair near the fireplace "goody and how is my favorite topic of gossip doing." Sasha smirked "believe me you'll see it for yourself in the morning, though you might regret asking that and you'll probably want someone to put out that stump out side now." Eric stood and scurried to the window as Sasha watched the flames grow higher and higher but never spreading out.
Eric gasped "what the hell." Eugene stood at the door keeping everyone in "stop I know what daryls doing it's a romani purification the backwater version of one slightly voodoo from the looks of it but it'll be fine." Sasha smiled "the long hair, the crossbow instead of a gun, the not wanting to stay tied down, of course it all makes sense now." Aaron sighed "he's gypsy hell it explains how he's always popping out of the woods on people it's where he belongs you know in nature." they all watched the stump glow the fire dimming still rooted in the same spot as the stump never spreading.
Sasha got curious how she smiled "i gotta check that out the fire didn't spread I gotta know why." she sneaks out next to the fire and notices the dampness of the ground and saw that around the base of the stump a trench dug around it full of water and saw names wrapping around the rings of the tree cut deeply into the stump glowing brighter than the fire largest of all Glenn below where he placed the cigarette pack she walked back over to Aaron's house and shakes her head "he's been planning that a while that was almost an alter the cigarettes where a sacrifice a promise to be better, to do better, mainly an apology to Glenn that he didn't listen to him yesterday."
Eric glanced out the window and saw the figures of daryl and carol come back he pulled the window open quietly and heard daryl speak watching him rest his forehead against carols head "meet you inside gotta finish that thing."he kissed her head carol smiled "its just a prayer daryl memorial purification, you said your mom taught you this." he shook his head "it's healing doesn't mean I have to like it." she smiled "just finish okay you'll feel better." she went inside and he kneeled in front of the stump dipping a glass bowl into the water holding it in on hand placing his other over it he spoke:
"By the silver light of Lady Moon,
By my hand and will so sure,
By all that is Blessed, true and strong,
I bid you, Cleanse me Pure."
he set the bowl on the burnt stump and stood face pointed to the sky eyes closed he dipped his hand in the bowl and bent over drawing a pentagram in the air above his feet saying:
"Silver Mother of the Night,
Bless my feet that they may always walk securely
Upon your sacred path."
and he straightened and replaced his hand into the water drawing it up to his forehead and repeating the movement against it and saying:
"Mother of all Life,
Be in my spirit, my magick, and my visualizations.
Fill me with your creative energy,
And cleanse me from thoughts unworthy of your child."
he kneeled back down and envisioned everyone happy safe alive his goals to keep these people alive he shrugged out of his shirt and cupped his hands in the bowl catching the water washing it over his head and letting it drip down his back and shoulders drawing the pentagram across his chest and incants:
"I am free from all unworthy influences,
Fit to meet, greet, and be the Gods.
As I was in the beginning of time,
I am now, and will always be.
So mote it be!"
turns his face up and the full moon shines down on him and he radiates light and it morphs around him into bright wings and he breathes deeply and opens his eyes a light erupts from the alter and daryl cries out softly his head drops defeated the light morphs into a hand on his shoulder and the figure clears up and they can tell its Glenn the light speaks "now you listen to me Romano jackass, this wasn't your fault man just know I don't blame you okay it's that jackass negans fault you fixed that too and the rocket launcher thing fucking bad-ass and your right your brothers totally pissed about the smokes but that doesn't matter, watch over everyone huh, I know you will. Beth says hi and she still believes what she told you in that house when you where on your own and daryl she told me and after tonight I believe it too and Sophia wants you to protect her mom and wants to thank you for trying to find her, says you did your best, dale is happy you found your place just sad it took so long and well your brother wont admit it but he's proud of you, you gotta know we love and miss you guys just know we're here for you here's hopin' we don't see you and carol for a long time okay well I guess thats it I gotta go man, be strong okay they need you, bye." the light engulfed him and when it went out he collapsed on the ground the air in his lungs came rushing out in a gasp he felt the pain in his shoulder flare and then taper off.
he pulled the bandage off as he sat up and looked it over a smirk washing over his face "well shit thats gonna be hard to explain." Sasha smiled the tattoo was back it glowed softly he rested a hand on his shoulder "thank you, Glenn." and daryl stood up turned around rubbing his shoulder he reached down for the shirt and the gauze on the ground and stood back up Sasha saw a hand print were the wound had been.
he pulled the shirt back on and made his way back to the porch and carol opened the door as he reached it she smiled touching his cheek "veshengo is it all good." daryl nodded "yep all good." carol kissed his other cheek "what happened." he shrugged the shirt off his shoulder showing her the hand print scar "Glenn, he fixed it and told me stuff that he didn't blame me he said Sophia wants me to protect you, that Merle's proud, dales happy and Beth said hi." she smiled "awe my baby's with Glenn and Beth thats good. You did good hun I can feel the heaviness leaving already."
he kissed her neck softly walking around behind her "my lovely puyuria so fucking smart you should really be a roma, be my romni..." his voice quieting some at the end then he laughs "guess we are all apart of the romipen now, constant travelers, one big fucked up familia." he spoke louder at the end and he heard a laugh from Sasha in the window.
carol backed up "wait your what." he walked her to to swing and crouched in front of her gripping her hands "my romni.. its shameful for me I know but there's not a lot of choices here your more roma then them all, besides I'm half gadjo anyway and I love you." she smiled "your..." he covered her mouth "shh." he pointed to the window where Sasha sat "we have spiuni's listening." he took her inside.
Sasha closed the window "veshengo, puyuria, roma, romni. Fuck man I didn't understand that man before now I need a fucking Dixon-nary." Eugene shrugged "veshengo- man of the forest, puyuria- gypsy groupy, roma- gypsy women, spiuni- spy, and y'all are gonna wanna sit down for this one... romni- wife."
Sasha and Aaron gasped "wife, daryl have a wife shhhit. But wait how did you know." Eugene smiled "my great uncle was Romano taught me about it language and all but i'm all gadjo." they kept talking late into the night and the next morning they all saw what daryl was capable of.