Author's note: So, this story is kind of a slow burn, so it take a few more chapters until Daaron will happen, just stay with it. Thanks to TraumScheiber for the review!


While Aaron was gone, Daryl continued to watch the scenario beneath him. After a few minutes he started to get nervous. Shouldn't Aaron be back by now? The car was parked near by and it shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes to go there and come back.

He waited another couples of minutes but when Aaron didn't returned he decided to check on him. He slowly and carefully made his way through the small forest, looking out for any sign of something suspicious. When he was almost there, he heard the voices. There were at least 4 or 5 guys discussing in low voices, coming from the direction where Aaron had parked the car.

Daryl sneaked silently closer and took cover behind some close together standing trees to get a look at what was going on. He saw 6 guys standing around their vehicles, all of them had a W carved on their foreheads. Wolves! Daryl quickly scanned the area for Aaron and let out a shaky breath when he saw him lying near the trunk, a rope around his wrist. He didn't move, but was obviously still alive, otherwise they hadn't tied him up.

While he was thinking about what to do next, he heard one guy asking. "So what do we do now? The other guy still has to be here somewhere, if he hasn't took off."

"We can't wait here forever until he shows up. We have to go on with the plan, it already started to get dark and we need to be there at midnight." A bulky guy who seemed to be their leader answered. He pointed at three of the guys in front of him. "Brent, Morrigan, Chase, you stay here and find the guy. Me, Chad and Casey meet with the others."

"And what do we do with him, when we find him? Shoot him?"

"Only if necessary. Bring them to safe room in the factory for now. We'll bring them to Negan after we get back. These two could be quite usefull later. Especially this one." With that he kicked Aaron in the stomach. Daryl grithed his teeth at the sight of that and had to restain himself not to storm out and put an arrow in his head.

"Why is that?" The guy, who's name was Brent apparently, asked.

"Let's just say they're old friends. I'm sure Negan would love to have a little 'chat' with him" He turned around and got into car with one of the others, while the third guy climbed on Daryl's bike and the three of them drove off.

Brent took over the lead and commanded the other two to spread off to look for Daryl. After the other two guys had took off he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He was about to lit the cigarette when Daryl jumped out from behind the trees. Brent reacted quickly, but before could reach his gun in his belt Daryl had already shot an arrow through his left eye. He didn't even had time to make a noise, so Daryl was sure his buddies had no idea what just has happened. Daryl ripped the arrrow out of the dude's head and then dragged the body behind some bushes so that it wouldn't be spotted immediately in case one of the guys came back before he could take them out.

Daryl quickly checked on Aaron, before he made his way towards the factory to chase the other two guys down. Aaron was unconcious and had a bleeding wound on his head, but besides that his breath and heartbeat were regular. He checked the ground for other footprints than his owns or Aaron's and soon found a trail that led him directly to the guy named Morrigan. After he made sure that the other remaining member of their group was nowhere to be seen he shot the guy from behind. He didn't like to just kill people like that, but after what he had heard he knew there was no other way. They would either kill or capture him and none of both was an acceptable option for him. And there was still Aaron to protect.

He took a few second to catch a breath when he heard a noise a few steps to his right. Priming his crossbow, he dodged behind the next tree right before the guy named Chase stumbled on the trail. Chase saw his buddy lying dead on the ground and panicked. Obviously not as tough as he looked he let out a little wumpering sound and was about to run off, back to where Brent was supposely waiting. But when he turned around, he faced Daryl with his crossbow aiming at him.

"Don't shoot me! We're no here to harm you! We just want to talk." Chase raised his hands in defense and tried to crack a friendly smile.

Daryl just squinted at him over his crossbow. "I heard you guys talking, so don't bullshit me. What are you planing?"

"Oh, you heard that? Too bad. Look, I'm not like them, I just with them to survive. It's very hard to make it on your own out there. You sure know that." He made a little step forward and let his arms fall down, seemingly innocent.

"Just answer the question." Daryl pointed his bow to Chase's face.

"Sorry, no can do. They would kill me if I do." He made an apologising gesture.

"Anwer me or I will!"

Chase shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "Well, in this case..." He moved his right hand towards the gun in his belt, but before he could pull it out Daryl had already shot with his crossbow. The arrow hit him in his neck right below the chin. His hands shot up in an attempt to pull it out while he slowly fell on his knees and made gurgling sounds.

Daryl watched the poor guy dying slowly. He wished he hadn't had to do that, but the guy had left him no choice. And he still had no idea what the hell was going on here. But his main concern now was Aaron, so he stormed back to him.

Aaron was where he had left him, still unconcious, but at least the wound on his forehead has stopped bleading. He tried to wake him with a couple of light slaps on his cheek, but that unfortunately didn't work and he didn't dare to slap him harder in case Aaron's head injurie was more serious than he expected.

Daryl thought about what to do next. They couldn't stay here, there were still Wolves at the factory and who knows if they wouldn't show up her sooner or later. On their way here they have passed a little farmhouse with a barn next to it, about a quarter mile away from the factory. The house has looked trashed and was probably overrun by walkers, but the barn has seemed untouched. They could spend the night there, until Aaron wakes up or he could find a functioning car to get back to Alexandria.

Without a vehicle and an unconcious Aaron over his shoulder it took him over an hour to get the barn. It was already dark outside and he was exhausted. Luckily the barn door was only locked with a bar, so it didn't took long to break it open. He dragged Aaron inside and layed him down on a small pile of old hay. Then he locked the door thoroughly and took a look around in hope to find something usefull like water or food. All their supplies were in the car that those bastards have stolen. When he walked around in the back of the barn, where former owner had stashed some tools, he stumpled over something on the floor. On closer inspection he saw that it was the handle of a trapdoor. He had to shake it a liitle but when it finally opened, he let out a surpised whistle. "Now look what we got here!"

- Meanwhile in Alexandria -

Sascha's shift as the lookout in the tower was almost over when she saw Aaron's car and Daryl's bike coming through. She wondered for a second why they were back already. Maybe they have found a lead to the Wolves, quicker than expected obviously. The car stopped in front of the gate and the guard, a young woman named Sarah who had her first gate duty this night under Eric's supervision, opened it for them. The car and the bike drove inside and parked right behind the gate. Sascha turned her attention back to the forest that sorrounded Alexandria, because she thought he heard something walking through.

In the meantime Sarah was about to close the gate and greeted Aaron and Daryl over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye she saw more than one person getting out of the car, what struck her kind of odd. She turned around and the next second she saw a mean looking guy in front of her. She opened her mouth to scream, but the strange man grabbed her and slit her throat, before a single sound could escape her mouth.

In that moment Eric walked out of the house right next to the gate where he has taken a bathroom break. Surprised to see Aaron's car he stopped and wanted to call Aaron out when someone, who had lurked in the shadow to his left, grabbed him in a headlock and hold a hand over his mouth. He felt a knife being pushed against his throat and a rough voice wispered in his ear. "Don't make a noise or I'll cut your throat like your little friend's over there." The guy behind him nodded in the direction where Eric saw a body lying on the ground. A puddle of blood around it that got larger every second and shone slightly in the moonlight. Eric froze and had to fight back tears, when he saw the poor girl lying there. "Such a waste but there was no way around. Now... show us where you stash your supplies and nobody else has to die..."