Mason pouted, legs kicking back and forth while he sat in a chair too big for him. In his lap he was wringing Manny in his hands, the old crochet blanket was used to boy's nervous tick.
He was in a mall, in a part he was unfamiliar with. He had ran off while Nye wasn't looking, and now he severely regretted it. Not knowing what else to do, he just sat down on the nearest bench sitting outside a random store.
Panic started to set in, the longer he sat there.
The nine year old sniffled, hastily rubbing snot from his nose as he started to cry.
"Mason!"
With a soundless gasp, Mason jumped from the chair, running towards the short brunette he knew called for him.
Nye looked frazzled, as she dropped to her knees and hugged him. Hand petting down some of his unreasonable curls. Mason could feel her relax, as she held him.
"I was so worried." She panted, leaning back and checking him over.
Mason's grip on Manny lightened, as he hummed in confusion. "How'd you know where I was?"
Nye blinked up at him, now looking confused herself. "I... I'm not sure. This just felt like the best place to look."
"Do you have, like, Spider-sense, or something?"
Nye laughed, taking his hand, and standing. "No, I don't think that's it."
Mason shrugged, keeping her hand tightly in his own. "It's still kinda like a superpower."
Nye laughed again, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, I'll call myself 'Super GPS'. My power is I'm able to locate my naughty kids, who just so happened to get separated from me." She said leadingly.
Mason looked to the floor sheepishly. "Least you found me?"
Nye scoffed, ruffling his hair back into its birdnest. "Of course. You can run, but you can't hide, Ace."
And while it was a joke, Mason still found the sentiment comforting.
...
Terminus was a lie. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
It was everything they said it wasn't.
Bullets littered the ground behind them, herding them all towards an unknown location.
The whole time they ran, dread kept up building in Toby. Because these people had some of theirs, they just didn't know who. And that left the very possible chance that Nye and Mason were in Terminus somewhere, potentially in as much danger.
Train cars surrounded them, some of them had people inside, screaming to be let out.
Once they were finally cornered, Gareth stepped over to the edge of the closest roof. Staring down at them as if they were as insignificant as ants.
Daryl pulled Toby behind him.
"Drop your weapons! Now!"
Everyone hesitated for obvious reasons, sharing looks as they couldn't think of any solutions.
"Now!"
Rick was the first to let go of his, followed by the rest taking his example. Michonne unsheathing her sword and dropping the blade. Daryl's crossbow bounced slightly as his grip on it went limp. Toby carefully took the machine-gun strap from his shoulder, settting it down. And Carl, after scowling heavily, dropped his own pistol. What little amount of knives they had on them, clattered to the ground beside the others.
"Ringleader, go to your left." Gareth ordered, seeming to view the current situation as something to be bored by. "The train car, go."
Rick panted, glaring furiously up at the leader of Terminus.
Gareth rolled his eyes. "You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies, and you end up in there anyway."
Biting his tongue, Rick gave a barely there reassuring nod to Carl, walking over to the large red train car.
"Now the archer."
Daryl didn't wait as long as Rick had, but he did shoot a look to Toby. Silently telling him everything would be okay. Even if the redneck wasn't sure about it himself.
"Now the samurai."
The stare Michonne shot at Gareth was venomous, as she marched after Daryl. Not hesitating, for fear of the kids' safety.
"Stand at the door, ringleader, archer, samurai, in that order."
As they lined up, Rick looked back over to where Carl and Toby stood.
"Our boys!" Rick demanded. Daryl chewed on his bottom lip, fidgeting tensely.
Gareth rolled his eyes again, nodding towards the train car in an uncaring manner. "Go, kid 1, and kid 2."
As the boys approached, Gareth focused back on Rick.
"Ringleader, open the door and go in."
"I'll go in with my son!"
"Don't make us kill him now!" Gareth shouted back in exasperation.
Rick's face twitched, fighting down a viscous snarl. Stepping up short wooden stairs, Rick unlatched the metal door, stepping inside the unlit cage.
Daryl followed, then Michonne. Only then were the two boys let in.
Toby moved to go in first, but Carl stopped him, going up and into the train car before him. The sheriff's son kept a hand knotted in Toby's shirt sleeve the whole time, for his own comfort, or Toby's, the freckled teen didn't know.
Once they were inside, the door shut behind them, casting the metal cage in darkness, illuminated only by thin cracks of light shining through gaps in the ceiling.
Rick immediately embraced Carl, holding him protectively. Behind the father and son, Toby ducked into Daryl's hold, hands shaking as they gripped the hunter's vest.
There was a dull metallic thud on the other side of the car. Indistinguishable shapes moved in the darker side, putting everyone on guard.
But they had no reason to worry.
A shadow split off from the rest, coming closer, and becoming clearer with every step. A strip of light slid over him, revealing a hopeful expression on a familiar face.
"Rick?" Glenn breathed, hoping beyond hope.
Slowly, one by one, more people stepped up beside Glenn. Maggie taking the spot on his left, Sasha on his right, while Bob hung over Maggie's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.
"You're here." Rick spoke in a hush, a fraction of the tension in him slipping away.
Glenn managed to crack a smile, nodding assuringly to their leader.
Sneakers squeaked, as a shorter body split from the newer ones in the far back. It slowly inched between, and finally past Glenn and the others. Standing in front, chest rising and falling unsteadily. His eyes shined in the darkness, glistening from unshed tears.
Toby's heart shot up into his throat, as he slipped away from Daryl, moving to the front of his group. He felt light, as if a weight on him was no longer there.
No one dared say a word, as Mason and Toby both looked the other over. Their faces clearly read that they had been at the ends of their rope, losing faith in finding one another.
A tear slid down a freckled cheek, while a watery grin split across Mason's.
"Hi."
"Hey."
Toby laughed through a sob, taking the full force of Mason's tackle.
The older brother squeezed Toby as hard as he could, lifting him off the floor and burying his face into his little brother's neck.
They both laughed into the other's shoulder, tears wetting spots on their clothes. It was amazing neither one tore any fabric, with the way they were holding so tightly to one another's shirts.
Daryl stood back, feeling a wetness building up in his eyes. Both situations that brought either one of the boys to him, were less than ideal. But it still reunited them, nonetheless.
Tara smiled, happy to see Mason get back the brother he spoke so dearly about. But as she watched, her eyes locked with Rick's.
The former sheriff's face fell, hardening as he recognized her.
Maggie saw the look, and put a hand on Tara's arm. "They're our friends. They helped save us."
Daryl grinned faintly. "Yeah. Now they're friends of ours."
At the sound of the hunter's voice, Mason beamed, pulling Toby with him, as he tackled Daryl into a hug too.
"For however long that'll be." Abraham remarked, just as grim as before, despite the tearful reunion between brothers.
"No."
Everyone stopped, and watched as Rick shook his head, looking out of a thin crack in the door.
"They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out." He said conversationally, voice coarse as he spoke quietly.
"Find out what?" Abraham asked suspicously.
Daryl smiled determinedly, holding securely onto Nye's world.
Michonne pursed her lips, standing straighter.
Carl fought a smirk, looking up to his dad.
Glenn, Maggie, Sasha, and Bob all shared a trusting look that went entirely over the new comers' heads.
Rick turned away from the door, a stripe of light glinting dangerously in his eyes, as he looked over his group.
"They're fucking with the wrong people."
...
It didn't escape Carol's notice that Nye wasn't talking to her.
And it was obvious that the young girl was wary of her too, eyeing her, always with a hand resting on a weapon in a way that appeared innocuous.
Carol didn't want to know what she and Tyreese had talked about the previous night. But it was unavoidable, because tension in a group was what gets them dismantled.
"Nye."
The head of hazel hair stopped bobbing, blonde highlights shining under the morning sunlight. Her head turned a fraction of an inch, as Nye hummed back at Carol in question.
Lydia held her guardian's hand, looking back at Carol, even more suspicous than before.
Tyreese, who was bringing up the rear with Judith and Samson, stalled.
Carol nodded to the woods on her right, despite knowing Nye wasn't looking. "We need to talk."
Lydia's eyes widened fearfully, as she looked up at Nye, almost pleadingly.
She remained rooted where she was, until a mighty sigh fell through her lips, and she nodded her now ducked head. With that, Nye spun around, following after Carol.
"Don't." Lydia called, trembling slightly.
Nye looked back over her injured shoulder, shooting a disarming smile the ravenette's way.
"I'll be fine sweety. Just stay with Ty, okay?"
Swallowing down anymore pleas, Lydia walked over, and tucked herself halfway behind the broad man.
The two women walked a fair distance from the train-tracks, in a stony silence. Once sure that they were out of earshot, Carol turned around, and watched as Nye's face shifted between many indiscernible expressions, before settling on apprehension.
"Tyreese told you something last night. Didn't he?"
"Yeah." Nye whispered, not bothering to hide it.
Carol deflated, tipping her head back as shame filled her. "So, you know what I did."
Nye only nodded this time, lips pulled into a sorrowful frown. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Carol shook her head, eyes shiny with bitter tears as she shrugged helplessly at the other woman. "I didn't want you to think of me any differently."
Nye scoffed lightly, sick at the remembrance of what Tyreese said Lizzie did to Mika. "Carol, what you did, it had to happen. I know that sounds awful, but... you did the right thing. Even if it hurts. And even if it changes how people see you."
Carol stared at her in disbelief, then sighed bitterly. "That's not what Rick thought."
Nye rolled her eyes, putting on a soft smile. "Well, Rick is a-"
Nye's fresh smile fell, green eyes widening and zeroing on Carol.
"What do you mean 'Rick'?"
Carol blinked in confusion. "Rick, he put it together that it was me that killed them. After that, he wanted me out of the prison."
Nye's heart dropped, and she took a staggering step back, realizing they were both having two entirely different conversations.
"No," Nye murmured, finding herself worried. "Carol, I was talking about Lizzie."
Carol's cheeks paled, as she now knew too, that there had been some major miscommunication.
"Who are you talking about?"
Mouth opening and closing uselessly, Carol pulled on the ends of her sleeves, breath picking up.
But things started sliding into place. Tyreese's behavior and subtle animosity towards Carol. How Lydia watched the woman, seeming to be in on something important. And how Carol's words, just spoken, all fit together to portray a story Nye didn't want to be told.
Hazel locks swung, as Nye shook her head in disparity. Her frown wide and showcasing her disappointment, and loss of trust. Stepping back a few more paces, Nye gave a look that begged for a better answer.
"Carol, you didn't."
At Nye's whispered plea, Carol raised her hands to her mouth, shame even more obvious than before as tears stung her eyes.
After getting no response, Nye's brows furrowed in confusion and betrayal. A hand came up, tangling in her hair and goggles, as Nye stared blankly at Carol.
"You did it. You killed Karen and David."
Carol ducked her head.
Anger started raising, as Nye marched closer to the older woman.
"If you killed them," She started breathlessly, grabbing Carol's arms harshly. "than why didn't you kill m-"
"Nye! Carol!" Tyreese called quietly, running up from behind them.
Looking back, they could spot behind Tyreese, a large decaying mass, shambling down the train-tracks where they once walked.
"There's a herd. And it sounded like gunshots were coming from Terminus."
"Someone was attacking them." Carol mused, diverting attention away from hers and Nye's heated conversation, as she slipped out of the younger of the two's hold. "Or they were attacking someone."
Nye glowered at the back of her head, breathing heavily through her teeth. Some ager faded though, as Lydia made a B-line for her, and took the brunette's hand. Samson quickly taking up the spot next to his tiny owner's side.
"Do we even want to find out?" Tyreese asked, looking off sceptically towards Terminus.
"We have to." Nye answered immediately, pulling Lydia along as she walked deeper into the woods, the train-tracks now unusable. "My boys could be waiting for me there. Daryl too."
Lydia nodded sagely. "Yeah. Your boys will probably be with their dad." She said in an attempt to reassure her.
Nye tripped over a root.
...
"They seemed nice enough, but I was ready to go."
In the train car, improvised weapons were being constructed by every member. Some taking their belts, and flattening the metal under their shoes to make three pronged shives. Some took to carving out sharp pierces of wood out of the beams keeping the car together. They were all making something to that effect. And then it was a matter of getting ready for the Termites arrival.
"We just got here, but, damn, it was time to go." Abraham explained as everyone prepared, helping Mason wrap his belt around his arm, for a better hold on his shive. "When I told them about DC, a wink and a nod from the head asshole in charge, they pulled their guns and it was right back to our regularly scheduled shitstorm." His voice rumbled lowly. He gave a questioning nod to Mason, who gave one right back, silently letting the red-head know that the belt was tight enough.
"Before they put you in here, you didn't see Tyreese?" Sasha asked worriedly.
"No."
"Good."
Daryl spoke next, looking to Maggie. "I was with Beth, but someone took her. Black car with a white cross painted on it. I tried to follow it. I tried."
"But she's alive?"
"She's alive."
"No sign of Mom either." Mason mumbled, looking apologetically at Toby.
Toby focused his attention on tying a piece of wood to his arm, using his shoelaces. Frowning in concentration, Toby only hummed.
"That's okay. She's probably just following a different route."
At the unwavering faith in the boys' voices, Daryl didn't bring himself to say anything.
"If she is indeed by her lonesome, there is a high likelihood she made it here before any of us. Which could mean any number of things could have, or are, happening to her."
"Cram it Point-Dexter!" Mason quietly barked at Eugene from across the car.
"Dude..." Tara sighed at the scientist as she saw fear on Toby's face.
"Leave them alone. We're all panicked enough." Rosita hissed protectively, mad at Eugene as well.
A group of voices started picking up volume, as they got closer to the train car.
Daryl, who stood at the door, on watch, gave a nod to everyone. "All right, got four of them pricks comin' our way."
Rick glared determinedly, walking up to stand beside his right-hand man, weapon raised. "You all know what to do. Go for their eyes first. Then their throats."
Mason stood a hair in front of Toby, subtly putting himself between his brother and the enemy.
"Put your backs to the walls on either side of the car now!" A man shouted from outside, clearly knowing something was up.
No one listened, only tensing themselves for battle harder.
But instead of the door opening, like they expected and prepared for, the ceiling above them disappeared, as someone opened a latch no one had noticed.
The people of Terminus proved smarter than previously assumed, as no one came barreling in for a fight they would surely lose. No, rather than fighting for their freedom, everyone watched as a grenade of some kind fell down from above.
Abraham was the first to react.
"Move!"
Mason spun around and dove on Toby, shielding his brother to the best of his abilities.
The grenade went off, a loud piercing crack sounded, ringing like a whip, as thick white smoke filled the car.
Only then did the door open.
A few men reached in, grabbing randomly into the car, and pulling out five people.
Rick, Glenn, Daryl, Bob, and Mason, were slammed down to the ground, disoriented and reeling from the grenade. Before they could try to recuperate, they were each given a blow to the head, causing some to fade out further, and some to black-out completely.
While Daryl blinked fervently, trying to keep conscious, he could have sworn, just for an instant, he saw forest green eyes through the fence, staring back at him with burning intensity.
...
"10-minute count." A woman's voice crackled through a handheld radio. "You screw up, you're on your own, Martin."
A man with black scruff, and a grey baseball cap was kneeling on the ground, setting up a large firework. "You don't have to tell me. I wipe my own ass." He snarked into the walkie-talkie, lazily chewing stale gum.
"Alex didn't get it." He talked conversationally, as he set up another brightly colored firework, a few yards to the right of the last one. "See, I knew the chick with the sword was bad news. Bitch looked like a weapon with a weapon."
"He was always a sloppy-ass mother'." The woman reamarked, voice more exasperated than amused.
The man chuckled, not a care in the world. "Yeah, I told Albert I want the kid's hat after they bleed him out..."
He trailed off, last few words getting quieter, as the unmistakable cold muzzle of a gun pressed against the space right behind his ear.
"Keep your finger off the button and drop it." Carol whispered dangerously, gun clicking as she made it clear she wouldn't hesitate.
The man wisely raised his hands, not chancing looking back at the people threatening him.
"They're only doing nine before public face. And one of them's a small fry." The woman spoke, not having any clue what was happening on the other end.
"Listen, y'all don't have to do this. Whatever you want, we got a place where everyone's welcome."
"Shut up, man." Tyreese warned.
"Okay." He replied obediently.
"We're friends of the chick with the sword and the kid in the hat." Carol said lowly.
The man stiffened, then risked glancing back. "About that-"
Nye marched three steps forward, ripping the man's hat off, then knotted her fingers in his dark hair, wrenching his head painfully back.
She looked down her nose at him, knife pressed harshly against his throat, which bobbed as he swallowed.
"The hat." Nye growled, eyes like burning emeralds. "What kind was it."
Thrown, the man chuckled nervously. "What?"
Nye snarled, digging the knife harder, drawing out a small trickle of blood.
"Okay, okay." He said hurriedly, raising his hands higher as he fought to push his head and neck even just a millimeter away from the blade. "It was a sheriff's hat. Brown, missin' the badge."
Nye's shoulders sank, but fear still held her own throat hostage.
"I'm guessin', you thought it was a bucket hat-"
Nye's stomach dropped.
"-or a red and white baseball cap? Am I right?" The man foolishly goaded.
Her pale cheeks flushed an angry crimson, as she jerked his head further, and moved to slit his throat.
"Nye!" Carol called, taking her wrist and stopping the brunette. "You can't-"
Nye's fierce glare whipped around at Carol. "You of all people, do not have the right to say who can, and can't be killed!"
Carol clenched her jaw, taking the jab with only a minute flinch.
"If you kill him, he can't tell us about our people. About Mason and Toby."
Nye panted, scowling furiously as the man started to smile, knowing he was going to live.
She let go of his hair violently enough to give him whiplash, storming away from them, and into the small rundown shack to their right. Barging in, and slamming the door closed without a word.
No one spoke as Tyreese tied up his hands, the man smiling despite this the whole time.
Inside the shack, he was thrown in the corner, until they could decide what to do with him.
Lydia sat on the other side, Samson laying on her lap, which ended up covering almost her entire body from his size.
"Cool dog." The man said appreciatively.
Nye shot up, holding her black pistol. "Say another word to her, and I'll put a bullet in your head, I don't care about what lies you could tell us."
"Settin' a bad example, don't you think?"
Nye's scowl didn't budge. "Lydia could probably kill you in more ways than I know how to. She's had it harder than any of us."
It wasn't a bluff. Nye reflected darkly on the things Lydia had told her about her group. And the disgusting things her mother, "Alpha", was capable of.
Nye only got angrier at the reminder of the many scars hiding under Lydia's sleeves. The scars the girl felt comfortable enough to share with her.
"We've all got scars." Nye had whispered, hiking up her right sleeve, as she spoke the same words Daryl had, all the way back when they were searching for Sophia.
"Look, you're friends were dangerous." He sighed. "They attacked us. We're just holdin' them."
"I don't believe you." Carol snapped back ruthlessly. "Who else do you have? Do you know their names?"
"We just have the boy and the samurai, that's it. We were just protecting ourselves."
Nye walked up, and pressed her pistol to his forehead. "Then how the hell do you know about my boys? Huh? One more lie, and I'll paint the walls with your fucking brain."
"We don't believe you." Carol said, rummaging around in his bag, and finding his extra weapons and fireworks.
"There's a bunch of us out there in six different directions." He warned confidently. "There was a lot of gunfire back home. We need to set off our charges all at the same time to confuse the dead ones away. That's good for you, too." He insisted as Carol shouldered all his supplies.
"No, it isn't. There's a herd heading toward Terminus right now. We don't want to "confuse them away". We're gonna need their help." Carol explained, sounding bored.
Nye eyed the woman, and the gear, coming to a decision.
"It's a compound. They'll see you coming." The man said, sure of himself and Terminus. "If you even make it that far with all the cold bodies heading over."
As she headed out the door, Tyreese took her arm, stopping her. "Carol. How are you gonna do this?"
"I'm gonna kill people." She whispered unflinchingly.
This time, as she moved to leave, it wasn't Tyreese who stopped her.
"I'm coming with you." Nye asserted.
Lydia stood quickly on shaky legs, knocking Samson off of her lap. "W-what?"
For the first time since she and Carol left to talk privately, Nye smiled. Crouching down and looking up at Lydia, Nye took her hands and squeezed them.
"Hey, it's okay. I'll be right back."
"B-but-"
Nye's smile turned anxious, and eager. "Baby, my sons are there. I have to go. But I promise to be right back."
Lydia shook her head, breathing becoming erratic. "No! Y-you won't! She told us never to-"
"And I'm not her." Nye whispered stonily, eyes genuine. "Lydia, I will come back for you. No matter what. No matter the shape I'm in. Or how long the distance may be. I will always come back for you."
Lydia's breath hitched, as her cheeks and nose remained flushed from getting worked up.
Then, hit with an idea, Nye smiled wider. "Here, I'll prove it."
With steady hands, Nye reached up and slipped off her goggles, gently transferring them to Lydia's.
"These belonged to someone incredibly important to me. I've worn them since the world ended. So, if you won't believe that I'll come back for you, know that I've always came back for these."
Lydia looked down at the dirty leather and glass, giving the barest hint of a nod.
Nye beamed, standing to full height. With one last glance over her shoulder as she walked away, Nye mused on the fact her head felt a thousand times lighter in an odd way.
Her lifted mood came crashing back down though, as she stepped out, standing right next to Carol.
"Let's go. Ready?"
Nye glared ahead, taking out her pistol again.
"I'll burn the place down if I have to. I'll put a bullet in anyone who gets in the way. I'll laugh while it happens if there's even a scratch on them. You bet your fucking ass I'm ready."
...
There was a saw revving, cutting into something wet, then something hard. The room they were being dragged into smelled like blood and sweat. And there were tables on the far wall, one that was occupied by a dead and naked body. Where the man with the saw stood.
Mason looked away as he spotted through his blurry vision, what they were doing to it. He didn't understand why they were going through the trouble of cutting the body up, if they were just going to throw it away.
No one had yet to explain what Terminus' main source of meat was to him.
They were forced down onto their knees in front of a long metal trough, gags had been tied around their mouth at some point, Mason wasn't clear on when.
The order went Bob, Rick, Daryl, Mason, Glenn, and then four men they were all unfamiliar with. Though Rick seemed to recognize the blonde guy on the other end of the trough. The guy happening to be the one who Rick gave his watch to while he was on the run with Carol, in which Rick then left her behind for murdering Karen and David.
Mason trembled, swallowing around an ever-growing lump in his throat.
Daryl panted, looking down at him in heavy concern. Grunting for the teen's attention, Daryl looked him in the eyes and gave him the most reassuring nod possible.
But it was still only a nod. As Mason's trembling got worse, a man with a metal baseball bat (Mason's baseball cap had been taken away upon Terminus' true intensions being revealed) who wore a blood covered apron. And a man with a butchers knive, and a matching apron, walked over to the gagged blonde at the end of the trough.
The 'shing' of the butchers knife sliding against the knife sharpener sent a chill down Mason's spine.
Then, standing behind the blonde guy, the man with the bat swung hard, hitting the back of the blonde's head, killing him instantly. Before anyone could blink, or look away, the other man, pulled the dead blonde's head up by his hair, slitting his throat so deep it looked halfway cut off.
The blood pooled in the trough, as some of the strangers started to yell and scream through their gags. Mason's eyes tracked the ever growing amount of blood, grimly understanding what they needed the trough for now.
There was a hard nudge on his right shoulder, and when Mason looked, Daryl was staring back at him.
"Don' 'ook. Ace, jus' 'ook a' me."
Mason nodded, huffing around his gag as his whole body shook.
Daryl bit down on the fabric gagging him, pulling with all his strength on the zip-ties around his wrists and ankles.
Something reflected in the trough in front of him, and when he looked, he sucked in sharply.
Her green eyes were unforgiving, as she crossed her phantom arms over the trough, lips pulled into a stern frown.
"You couldn't save me. Now you can't save them."
Another swing of the bat, and immediate gushing of blood, as Daryl snarled and fought his restraints hard enough that he began to cut into his wrists.
Her eyes blazing with the scorn of a protective mother, she leaned in, an inch away from his face.
"If they die, I'll be gone for good. Beth was right, you'll be the last man standing, Daryl. And you'll die being the only one left who remembers me."
His jaw ached, fabric fibers fraying as he ground his teeth hard enough to crack them. Mason trembled at his side, turning his head, and hiding his face in Daryl's leather vest. Another crack, another slice, and another body closer to it being them next.
She stood, eyes so clear he might have thought she was real.
"Daryl Dixon, how am I supposed to haunt you if you're all dead too? How am I going to keep being here, if the only people who know me, who love me, are gone?"
Footsteps echoed, as Gareth walked in, completely unbothered by the horrific sight in front of him. Flipping through a notebook, he nodded to the man with the bat. "Hey, guys. What were your shot counts?"
"38." Answered the one with the bat, swinging and killing the fourth one in line.
One last body, blood spurting out of the artery so hard that you could hear the pressure, slumping over the trough, leaving Glenn to be next. And right after him, Mason was the next in line. If things didn't change immediately, Daryl was going to have to watch Ace get butchered like cattle.
Glenn clenched eyes shut, as the bat came up.
Mason stopped breathing, static filling his head as he dreaded the upcoming thud.
She watched with apathy. Fingers tapping a rhythm on her arm that only Daryl could hear.
"Hey!"
Everyone stopped, including the man with the bat.
Gareth raised his brows leadingly. "Your shot count?"
The one with the knife glanced around nervously. "Crap, man, I'm sorry. It was my first roundup."
Gareth closed his eyes, holding the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. "After you're done here, go back to your point and count the shells. Kaylee won't be gathering them until tomorrow."
As the male brunette looked over the line of corpses, and those to be, his expression made it clear that they were nothing but pigs for slaughter to him.
"Hey! Hey, 'et me ta'k to you!" Bob called through his gag.
Gareth totally ignored him, jotting something down in the notebook. "Five from A, four from D?"
"Yeah."
"Hey! 'et me ta'k to you 'or a minute!" Bob persisted, calling out several more times before Gareth finally rolled his eyes and pulled Bob's gag away.
"What?"
"Don't do this." He said the second the gag was away. "We can fix this."
"No, you can't." Gareth replied plainly.
"You don't have to do this." Bob shook his head, eyes trying to connect with Gareth's on some level. "We told you there's a way out of all this. You just have to take a chance. We have a man who knows how to stop it. He has a cure. We just have to get him to Washington. You don't have to do this, man. We can put the world back to how it was."
Gareth sighed tiredly, as if he had heard it all before. "Can't go back, Bob."
"We can! You don't have to do this!" Bob pleaded, as the gag was put back.
Instead of leaving, Gareth crouched down in front Rick. Pulling his gag away with a little resistance from Rick's locked jaw. After getting it free, Gareth uncaringly wiped his hand off on Rick's coat.
"We saw you go into the woods with a bag and come out without it." He started, brow raised. "Had to pull my spotters back before we could go look for it. What was in it? You hid it, right? In case things went bad?"
Rick glared a deadly stare straight at Gareth, but the other man didn't react accordingly.
He smiled, huffing a chuckle even, as he nodded approvingly. "Smart. Still, we'll find it. But it's too dangerous to go out there right now."
Pulling out a long dagger, Gareth grabbed Bob's head, and held the tip an inche away from his eye. Gareth looked boredly back over to Rick.
"What was in it? I'm curious. And it was a big bag."
Rick didn't cave, not a word said back despite the unspoken threat.
Gareth rolled his eyes, sighing. "You really gonna let me do this?" Getting no response, Gareth's gaze flickered to Mason. "Maybe I should try the kid? He seems to care a lot about you all, asking about you the second he got here."
The second Gareth moved in Mason's direction, Daryl launched himself forward, banging into the trough. While Rick finally said something.
"Well, let me take you out there. I'll show you."
Gareth huffed, unimpressed, as he reached over, gripping and pulling on Mason's shirt, making the teen lean closer.
"Not gonna happen." He said, ignoring the raging and bound redneck. "This might." He raised the dagger.
"There's guns in it." Rick spat out, fast and loud. His reward was immediate, as Gareth lowered the dagger a few inches.
"AK-47. 44 Magnum. Automatic weapons. Nightscope." He listed off, trying to remember everything. "There's a... compound bow, aaand a machete with a red?" He nodded. "Red handle."
With the dagger lowered completely, but Mason still shaking in Gareth's grip, Rick felt his blood boiling.
"That's what I'm gonna use to kill you."
Gareth smiled, as if just being growled at by an angry Pomeranian. Putting the gag back, and giving a patronizing pat on Rick's shoulders. "Thanks."
Standing up, he went back to ordering his men around.
"You have two hours to get them on the driers. I'm gonna go back to public face. Now's the time we can get messy, but we need to dial it all in by sundown."
"Got it."
"Yes, sir."
Then, for some reason, she smiled, conniving and confident.
As Gareth moved for the door, there was the sudden crack of gunshots. Everyone looked around, wondering who's side the gunfire was coming from.
The man with the bat brushed it off, raising his bat behind Glenn for the final time.
More shots, a lot of them.
Gareth whipped out a walkie-talkie, looked over towards the main door edgily. "Hey, Chuck?"
Static was the only response he got in return.
Nye's smile stood strong, her eyes calm as she shrugged.
Daryl watched her in absolute confusion. Wondering why it felt like she knew something they didn't.
"But I guess I gotta do everything, huh, Hotshot?"
The ceiling shook, as the familiar feeling of an explosion rocked the building.
It was like the prison. No one even knew what hit them, until it was too late. Destruction reigning from the mystery shooter immediately following the loud fireball exploding outside.
Dust and rubble surrounding them, as gunshots and screams sounded from outside, they watched the panic going on around them. And even with that happening, Mason's lips pulled upwards.
Because, whether it was intuition, or reckless optimism, Mason knew what was happening. He knew who was out there, wreaking havoc and saving the day. He knew, he wasn't sure how, but he just knew.
"She found us." He breathed through the gag, eyes bright and faithful. "She found us."
...
Two sheets, both with a hole torn in the middle, were put over Carol, and Nye, while they worked to cover them with Walker blood.
"How'd you learn to do this?"
"I didn't." Nye said, eyes down, and hands deep in the Walker's chest. Its rotting organs didn't even give her pause this time, as she knew Mason and Toby were just on the other side of a fence. "Lydia showed me. So it would suck if you killed her too."
Carol sighed, squeezing what was probably the stomach, hard enough that it fell apart. "Nye, now's not the time-"
"No. Now's the perfect time. We have to cover ourselves in gore, and while we do that, we got nothing but time to kill." She ranted, smashing some guts onto her chest harder that necessary. "So, you're going to tell me, why I'm still alive."
Carol stopped, looking up from the Walker. "What?"
Nye threw down the half of the intestines she was holding in a vice-like grip. "I was spitting up blood, while they had the sniffles. So why the fuck, did you kill them, and not me?"
"Are you serious? You have two kids. And God knows what Daryl would have done if I took you away. Besides, you're family, I couldn't kill you, even if I wanted too."
Nye shook her head, looking up from under her bangs, eyes disbelieving and angry. "No, it's not that simple. Can you honestly tell me, that if I was from Woodbury, that if we didn't know each other since Atlanta, you still would have let me live? Can you look me in the eye, and tell me you wouldn't have killed me that night? Mason, Toby, and Daryl still included?"
Carol didn't reply, knowing that if she said what Nye wanted, it would be a lie, and she was so tired of those.
Nye scoffed, mixing blood with dirt, and smearing it over her glowering face. "Yeah. It doesn't matter if Mason and Toby lost another mom. What matters is how you feel, apparently. What matters, is that I'm lucky you like me, and that you were selfish enough to keep me alive."
"Nye-"
Standing, she slung her crossbow over her shoulder, gripping onto her broken wrench. "You don't care how it hurts everyone else. You just care about the guilt you'd be under, for murdering a friend."
Walking away, she heard Carol rush to her feet.
"I tried!"
Nye's scavenged pair of boots stilled, as she kept her back to Carol.
"I-I... I had my knife to your throat. But I couldn't do it. It was selfish, and flawed, I know. Karen and David were still alive when I left your cell."
"So why'd you still kill them?"
Carol took a deep breath. "Because I was scared. I was scared for everyone. But I wasn't scared enough to kill you. I thought, even with a little damage control, things might be safer."
Nye turned her head, looking over her shoulder. "It was still selfish. You put your own feelings above everyone's well-being. You chose to keep your hands free of my blood, even if I ended up getting someone, maybe even a kid, sick."
"Are you saying you wished I killed you?"
Nye sighed, walking again as she marched her way towards Terminus. "No. I'm just saying you were wrong in keeping me alive. You should have left Karen and David alone, or killed all three of us. There shouldn't have been an in-between. Because then, what's the point?"
The rest of the trip over to where the tracks met was heavy with tension. While some things had been aired out, it was clear that Carol was going to have to earn back Nye's trust, after keeping something like that a secret.
And finally, after what felt like days, they could see the fence through the trees, followed slowly by catching a voice floating from behind it.
Keeping to the trees, they walked the perimeter, watching the Termites as some of them reached into a red train car. When they pulled back, they dragged five bodies with them.
The first was Rick, who's clothes were stained in live human blood, his face masked by a rugged beard that had grown unruly in the time apart. Next was Glenn, who looked forever the same, with the only change being his hair, which looked maybe an inch longer. Then there was Bob, who's shoulder looked wounded, much like Nye's.
Then the last two.
The second to last was dragged out kicking, and thrashing, as he fought with everything he had to escape his holders. His hair was longer, falling over his eyes, and he still wore the winged vest she would always associate with him. Daryl was thrown down next to the last three, getting a hit to the head to try and get him under control.
Something in Nye's chest ached as she stumbled towards the fence, reaching and holding onto the weaved metal as she watched the Termites through the fence, as they hurt her Dixon.
There was a split-second, that Nye could have sworn Daryl looked her dead in the eye.
The last to come out, took Nye's breath away.
He was taller. Not by much, but enough to notice. His hat was missing, and he was covered in dirt. He looked scared, and it made Nye want to personally slit the throat of everyone in Terminus.
"Ace, baby, I'm right here." Nye choked, knuckles white as she gripped the fence, ready to hop it as the Termites started pulling the five toward a warehouse.
"Daryl, Maso-"
Carol rushed to cover the brunette's mouth, stopping her from yelling as her voice kept rising with every syllable.
Nye slapped the hand away, eyes burning with a light Carol hadn't seen since the prison.
"They're here, Carol. My babies, my hunter, they're here."
"I know." Carol whispered diplomatically, lifting her sniper rifle, and pointing it through the fence. "We'll get them."
Nye nodded, heart soaring, as a wicked grin split her face.
"Tell me what to do."
Carol watched through the sniper scope, as they spotted the upcoming herd, and began to panic. "Just wait. We'll be in there soon."
The Termites screamed, shooting fruitlessly at the impenetrable force of Walkers.
Carol looked through the scope of the sniper rifle, sight locking on a huge metal gas tank, with the word 'Arnett' on it. Moving back, Carol took their other rifle, sticking one of the fireworks down the barrel, and then handing the gun to Nye.
Lifting back up her own, Carol aimed at the tank and started shooting. It took three shots to pierce it, and when she did, a large plume of white gas started escaping with a hiss.
Nye didn't need any instruction, as she closed one eye, aiming at the tank while Carol took the short wire attached to the firework, lighting it.
Nye grimaced as it shot out of the gun, preparing for the abuse her ears were about to suffer.
The firework reached the tank, igniting the gas and exploding into a massive ball of fire in the same instant. The force was so strong it shook the ground the two women were standing on. Dozens of Walkers flew through the air, burning away as they paid the fire smothering them no mind. The explosion served as a perfect distraction for them to slip into Terminus, all while causing serious destruction.
"Come on." Carol picked up their gear, cutting a hole in the fence with garden shears they found in the shack.
Shortly after slipping into Terminus, Nye and Carol hid themselves in the mass of Walkers descending upon the community.
A thick cloud of smoke impeded their vision, and gave Nye an anxious feeling, linked back to seeing the same sort of environment during the attack on the prison. There was the same sounds of screaming, gunshots, and fire blazing as back when their home was demolished. But this time, Nye felt nothing towards the people on the ground they passed by, the people who were being eaten alive, or were burning to death. Because they weren't her people, these ones were instead the opposite. By attacking her people, they put themselves in the position to be executed without mercy. So in her mind, the grotesque scene going on all around her, felt similar to putting down a violent and rabid dog.
"Where are we going?" Nye demanded as she noticed Carol leading her to a random door to another building. Veering off course from the warehouse where they saw the five just be taken.
Carol ducked into the doorway, raising her sniper and taking headshot at the guards stationed outside the warehouse. The shots attracted local Walkers, however, so Carol rushed to drag Nye into the building, closing the door behind the steaming brunette.
"Wrong building Care." Nye bristled, moving to go right back out the door.
Carol stopped her, grabbing her gore covered arms. "If you die being reckless, than you can't see your boys again. And if you go out there, you will. Daryl would never forgive me if you did."
Nye frowned. "Why would he blame you? And he would be fine anyway, we've lost a lot of our people, Merle included, and he's still going. I wouldn't be any different."
Carol pursed her lips, looking like she dearly wanted to refute that, but they didn't have the time. Not letting go of one of her arms, Carol started dragging Nye further into the building, other hand holding up her rifle, finger on the trigger.
...
Slipped from their bindings, and having killed the men with the knife and bat, the group of five ran through the maze of a warehouse, trying to locate the exit.
What they found though, explained pretty much everything.
"Oh God." Glenn groaned, looking sick as they slowly walked into a meat curing room. But instead of the normal pork or beef on the meat hooks, there were limbless torsos.
Immediately upon noticing what was in the room, Daryl turned around and blocked Mason's view.
"Don't look. Keep your head down."
Mason didn't ever feel the need to question the redneck, and quickly ducked his head with a quiet "Okay." keeping his eyes on the blood stained floor.
"You come across any of these people, you kill them. Don't hesitate. They won't." Rick ordered, taking the discovery of the room with fury, and not just disgust.
They all took some knives to arm themselves, and Daryl felt disturbed as he handed Mason's his, knowing what they had been used for.
"Stay behind me. Don't look up until I tell you." Daryl told the teen, hoping to get him out of the area as soon as possible.
Mason nodded, head still lowered, while with his free hand he reached out and knotted his fingers into Daryl's sleeve so the hunter could lead him.
As they headed down the hallways guardedly, Mason started to smile.
"It has to be her." Risking a glance up at Glenn, Mason grinned. "I told you she'd find us."
Daryl's chest ached.
"Don't get your hopes up." Glenn gently reminded him. "We don't have a clue if it was even someone on our side."
Mason shook his head stubbornly. "It's her. I can feel it."
They finally got to the door leading outside, carefully opening it and looking in on the chaos. With no choice but to step out into it.
...
Meanwhile in the other building, Nye and Carol found a room that disturbed them for different reasons.
"This isn't the lost and found, is it?" Nye said in a hush, walking by the tables stacked full of toys, watches, hats, and all things in that regard.
Carol stopped in front of the watches, picking up Rick's, the one he gave to the blonde stranger so he and his girlfriend would now when to meet up with them. It now was clear why he had never met back with them.
Nye dove for the table brimming with hats, picking handfuls of them up and dropping them to the floor as she dug through them. When she finally found her son's cap, worn and dirty red and white catching her eye, she sighed in relief, tipping it up and securing it on her head for safe keeping.
On the next table over, was piles of stuffed animals. After a quick scan, Nye impulsively took a random pink elephant out of the surplus of them, then a pastel yellow duck. Tying the soft trunk around her belt to hold on to, same as one of the wings.
Neither Judith or Lydia had anything to play with, and she wanted to change that.
"Nye."
Looking over at the last section of tables, Nye spotted countless guns and knives, which Carol was picking through, taking back the ones belonging to their people.
The brunette's hand shot forward, taking the crossbow she could probably draw from memory.
Carol looked between it, and Nye's own hand-me-down crossbow. "Do you want me to carry i-"
"No." Nye spoke through a gasp, pulling the weapon to her chest. "I-I got it."
Carol didn't argue, hoping to give as much comfort to the younger woman as she could. And if holding onto a piece of Daryl put her at ease, then Carol wouldn't try to stop it.
Through the next door, they found a large room, full of lit candles, and words written across the floor. On the walls, there was a message.
Never again. Never trust. We first. First always.
Nye shuddered, hold strong on her wrench, focusing on the soothing weight of the two crossbows on her back.
"Where the hell are we?"
Carol shook her head silently, looking around the room in unease just like Nye was. "Someplace I don't think we were supposed to see."
Nye glared shakily from under the bill of the cap. "That's not reassuring Carol."
"It wasn't meant to be. Come on."
As they walked to the door, there was the distinct sound of the hammer of a gun being pulled back.
"Drop your weapons and turn around! I want to see your faces."
Nye swallowed, stiff as a statue as her eyes were the only thing to move, locking with Carol's.
"Now!"
Carol gave an almost unnoticeable nod, as she slowly set down her sniper rifle. Nye clenched her teeth, letting both crossbows slip from her shoulders. But under her blood covered sheet, the woman didn't see the machine-gun Carol picked up from the pile. Making it seem like she was just putting down another weapon, Carol got the gun firmly in her hands, spinning around and shooting rapid fire at the woman.
The red-headed woman screamed, diving to the floor and accidentally dropping her handgun. Carol went to shoot her dead, but the woman stood and charged at Carol, taking one of the metal candle stands and tried to hit Carol with it. They wrestled on the floor for few seconds, knocking over several candle shelves. The woman eventually got to her feet, raising the stand above her head to smash it down on Carol.
"Drop it!"
The woman froze, looking over her shoulder.
Nye snarled, crossbow loaded and aimed at the red-head.
Carol stood, pointing the machine-gun back on her too.
She panted, drenched in blood, as she looked around the wrecked room, eyes watering. "The signs? They were real. It was a sanctuary. People came and took this place."
Nye rolled her eyes in disgust. "No one cares-"
"And they raped and they killed and they laughed over weeks!" The woman spoke over Nye, getting even more worked up. "But we got out and we fought and we got it back. And we heard the message. You're the butcher or you're the cattle."
"The men they pulled from that train car, our people, where are they?" Carol demanded.
The red-headed woman didn't say a word, attempting to hold some semblance of control.
Nye didn't care for that.
Almost lazily lifting her crossbow, Nye shot the woman in the thigh. Face passive as the woman screamed and fell to the floor, holding her leg.
"Where are they?" Carol demanded again, anger rising.
The woman cackled, making Nye's rage worse.
"Now point it at my head." She rasped, deranged smile on her face. "You could have been one of us. You could have listened to what the world is telling you!"
"No one gives a shit about how you people have twisted things. You rant about what you went through, and then out of spite, turn around and do the same to others. You better hope to God I don't find you in hell, because if I do, I'm gonna have some fun with it."
The conviction in Nye's voice put a chill down Carol's spine.
"You lead people here and you take what they have and you kill them? Is that what this place is?" Carol asked harshly, gun still aimed at the red-head.
"No, not at first." The woman argued breathlessly, shaking her head feebly. "It's what it had to be. And we're still here." She said, as if it was some kind of victory.
Carol lowered her gun, and after a moment, Nye lowered her crossbow too.
"No. You're just cockroaches. Surviving pathetically isn't something to be proud of."
"You're not here. And neither are we." Carol whispered, pulling Nye back towards the door outside, and opening it.
The Walkers couldn't smell Nye or Carol, so they all shambled by them both, going for the obviously alive, and blood covered red-head.
"No! No! No! Oh! No, God! No! No!"
As they stepped outside, Nye wondered when it was that she became such a monster. While she nearly relished in the woman's screams.
...
The warehouse was empty, save for some bodies. The whole of Terminus was full of Walkers. And the red train car that Rick and the others were pulled from, was empty.
Their people were nowhere to be seen.
Nye stared blankly down into the stream, as she and Carol washed off the blood caking them.
Carol wiped her hands dry onto her pants, giving Nye a placating look. "They're fine. They took the distraction and got out. We just have to find them out here."
Nye didn't move, absently combing her hair with her fingers, then put Mason's cap back on backwards. "They were right there."
Carol nodded, standing and picking back up her half of the gear. "And they're still here. We just have to find them." She repeated.
Nye stood, picking up the crossbows with a quiet sniffle.
"Let's go. They might still be near the outer fence."
Nye nodded, starting off marching in a random direction.
"Where are you going?"
Nye's brows furrowed, as a hand came up and rubbed right above her left breast. "I don't know. But it feels like the right way."
...
"Right here." Daryl said, he and Rick crouching down in front of a patch of dirt.
"The hell are we still around here for?" Abraham asked harshly, wanting to get Eugene and the kid out of the woods near Terminus.
"Guns, some supplies." Rick explained, digging up and pulling out a huge duffle that was full.
"Go along the fences." He pulled out his colt, checking the ammo just to be sure. "Use the rifles. Take out the rest of 'em."
"What?" Glenn asked.
"They don't get to live." Rick said venomously.
Glenn closed his eyes, taking a calming breath. "Rick, we got out. It's over."
"It's not over till they're all dead."
"The hell it isn't." Rosita scoffed. "That place is on fire. Full of Walkers."
Abraham shook his head. "I'm not dicking around with this crap."
"We just made it out." Maggie tried to calmly argue. "The fences are down. They'll run or die."
While they were talking, two figures slowly approached, with racing hearts.
Nye felt choked up, but in the best way, as she looked over her boys. Toby was standing by Glenn, looking back in the line of sight of Terminus' fence in worry. Mason was next to two women Nye didn't recognize, both with black hair.
But Daryl, his back was to her, and she so badly wanted him to turn around and see her.
Toby sighed, turning away from where Terminus sat, burning, and looked out into the open woods instead.
Brown locked with green.
He blinked, face neutral for a second that felt like an eternity. He blinked two more times, then his eyes widened, lips parting as he finally registered what he was seeing.
While his face was shocked, disbelieving, Nye beamed. Eyes tearing up as her shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Carol stood back, happy to watch.
Toby blindly reached out to Mason, snagging his shirt and pulling at it incessantly. When Mason finally looked, brows drawn in annoyance, he followed Toby's gaze.
Mason, like Toby, only blinked blandly at her, things not clicking right away. But as she gave a joking wave, Mason's annoyed look fell, replaced by shock, then awe, then pure joy.
The two would probably later deny it, but they were crying before they could even get their legs to move.
And finally, they seemed to break out of their stupor.
"Mom!" Mason cheered through a sob, he and Toby running at her.
When they connected, Nye felt something euphoric explode in her chest. They were so tall, chins now resting on her shoulders, as she had to stand on her toes to wrap her arms over theirs.
It was the lightest Nye had felt in her life, knowing she finally found them, and got to hold them again. She knew she was probably being loud, the way she was laughing and crying at the same time, but she didn't care if she attracted any dead attention.
Toby blubbered, shoulders jerking and knocking into her chin as he sobbed openly. The relief rolling off of him only caused Nye to smile and cry harder.
Mason was a little more reserved in terms of his tears, but his laughter was loud and boisterous. He was tall enough now, that he easily started rocking them all, arms tighter than a cobra around his mother and brother.
"I knew it!" He laughed into her hair, rubbing against her head like a needy cat. "I knew it was you!"
"Missed you." Toby croaked, the two words followed by a harsh and shaking sob. "Missed you so mu-u-uch."
Nye closed her eyes tight, smile wobbling as she clung to them with all she had.
"I love you. I love you two more than anything." She cried, mind not even picking up on the burning pain in her arm as Toby squeezed against it.
Everyone around watched, with varying degrees of happiness for the boys, and their own relief at seeing Nye and Carol.
But there was one person who was stunned.
"She's gone."
Daryl's breath hitched, as her eyes cracked open, spotting him over her boys' shoulders.
Then, she smiled. That crooked smile. That crooked smile that made him feel weak, and unstoppable at the same time.
"She's gone."
No, Daryl shook his head, feet unsteady, she was right there.
Toby glanced back, and saw him staring. Then with a wide and faintly mischievous grin, he slowly pulled Mason back, as they detached from her.
She looked confused at first, until the two split apart, so the path between the hunter and brunette was clear.
She looked up at him from under her bangs, teary eyed and flushed.
"She's gone."
She beamed, back straight as she carried his old, and new crossbows.
He stopped breathing completely, when her smile parted, eyes locked with his, and not going anywhere.
"Hi."
There was a pain in his chest, a good pain. Because Beth was wrong. She wasn't gone. She was right in front of him, and she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
He didn't even realize he moved, until she was in his arms.
Nye giggled in a way she never had before, face flushing for a different reason than crying, as Daryl lifted her off of the ground. She could feel his breathing against her ear, sending a tantalizing shiver through her. His chest was heaving, as he gently, yet haphazardly swung her back and forth, her feet not even an inch close to the ground.
She felt light, but in a different way than when her boys hugged her. This time she felt airy, like she might float away if Daryl wasn't holding her so tightly.
In the background, Mason and Toby shared a wide grin. The sight before them was such a stark contrast from when Daryl had first chucked her inhaler to her, back on the farm. They had not only succeeded, it was safe to say, but they went beyond their original goal.
Yeah, they made Nye and Daryl become more than friends. Even if the two didn't know it yet.
Her feet touched down onto the ground, as Daryl ducked his head over hers, their foreheads knocking and settling against each other.
And as she looked up at him, she felt the strongest pull, to kiss him.
I want to kiss him. She thought breathlessly, eyes flickering down to his lips. When did I start wanting to kiss him?
It was before I got shot. Her eyes widened with the stupefying realization, face flushing darker. I've had this feeling since we found the prison. I just didn't know that's what it was.
While she was lost in thought, she didn't notice Daryl having the same dilemma. Only his was arguably worse.
The farm. All the way back to the farm. When she helped him search for Sophia, started calling him by his name, started spending time with him for no other reason than wanting his company, and started to give him those crooked smiles. That was when it started for him, and it was terrifying to know that she had such control over him for that long.
They locked eyes again, both breaking out of their trains of thought at the same time.
With a sheepish smile and ruby red face, Nye leaned back before she gave in a kissed him.
Jesus Christ. I have feelings for Daryl Dixon.
Rick slowly walked up to Carol during the interaction, giving her a disbelieving smile. "Did you do that?"
Carol smiled back, albeit hesitantly, and nodded. "Me and Nye."
Rick grinned, pulling the shocked woman into a hug.
Wiping his eyes dry, Mason spun around and punched Eugene in the arm, causing the man to yelp. Abraham let it slide.
"I fucking told you she was coming for us!"
"Apologies." He muttered, rubbing his arm. "I was unaware your mother was so young and assumably fit."
Rosita gave him an unimpressed look, putting an arm protectively around Mason's shoulders. The curly haired teen smiled dopily, face turning red, much like Nye's.
As Nye stepped back, Carol took her wrist.
"You have to come with us." Carol said gravely, looking between Rick, Carl, and Sasha.
Nye grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah, we've got something to show you."
...
"What's with the dolls?"
Nye glanced down at her belt, where the elephant and duck hung. Letting go of Mason's hand, Nye raised a finger to her lips with a wink.
"You'll see."
Mason rolled his eyes, looking out to the woods with a smile.
Nye plucked his cap off of her head, putting it back where it belonged. Then took his hand in her left one again, while her right swung in Toby's ironclad grip.
Mason grinned wider, fixing the hat securely atop his head.
"Where're your goggles?" Toby asked worriedly, noticing their absence right away.
Daryl looked back, from where he was walking ahead.
Nye squeezed their hands. "Don't worry, they're somewhere safe."
"Hey."
Nye looked to her right, where one of the ravenettes was walking, or maybe strutting was a better word for it.
Rosita smiled at the scene, Nye walking hand-in-hand with her boys. "You raised some pretty tough kids."
Nye started to smile, but Mason's suddenly sweaty hand caused it to break into a smirk.
"Yeah, I'm as surprised as you are." She joked. "I'm Nye. May I know the name of such a lovely lady?" She asked with an overly sultry wink.
Mason hung his head, face burning. "Oh my God Mom stop."
"I'm Rosita. I guess Mason wasn't lying about you being a flirt?"
Nye broke the act, shrugging. "Nah, not a serious one at least. Feel free to tell me to fuck off if it makes you uncomfortable."
Rosita smiled kindly. "I don't think it'll be a problem. But be careful with Tara, she might take it seriously and get her hopes up."
Nye's eyebrows shot up. "She likes girls?"
Rosita nodded, and Nye gave an intrigued hum.
Daryl walked rigidly ahead, eyes scanning for the other woman, Tara.
"Nye," Carl fell back, walking next to Toby. "Where are we going? Carol won't tell us."
Nye softened, giving a motherly expression. "Jesus, you're tall. Sorry Chief, I can't tell you, but the surprise will be worth it, I promise."
Carl sighed, walking back up next to Michonne, who chuckled faintly at the teen's grumpy muttering.
When Nye knew they were getting close to the shack, she glanced between her boys in apprehension.
"So, I may have been keeping something from you. But I don't want you guys to freak out, and scare her."
Toby frowned in concern, confusedly mouthing 'her?'. And Mason narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
They all trudged up the steep road, making it up over the incline, and spotting the shack.
Samson sat up from his spot on the porch, tail wagging as he darted to Nye, the only familiar and trustworthy scent.
Abraham moved his gun up, but Nye stopped him with a deadly glare.
"Shoot him, and risk life and limb, asshole."
Abraham glared back at her, but dropped his rifle.
Mason and Toby grinned down at the dog.
"You got a Saint Bernard?!" Toby whisper-yelled excitedly, petting Samson with his free hand.
"Not the main focus here." Nye whispered back, as the door in front of them opened.
Tyreese stepped out, looking over everyone in tired relief. When he spotted Sasha, he had to bite his lip to keep it still.
But what most of them were looking at, was the tiny body in Tyreese's arms.
Rick and Carl dropped their bags and guns, not needing any dead weight, as they ran for the shack.
As Rick gently yet hurriedly took Judith from Tyreese, he cried happily, falling to his knees as Carl stood beside his father, crying right alongside him with a wide smile.
Sasha shook, laughing tearily as Tyreese picked her up into a hug.
While the reunions were beautiful, Nye looked to the cracked door. When it opened a few more inches, amber eyes peeking out, Nye let go of the two hands she held.
She missed the anger and hurt that flashed through Mason and Toby's faces as she disconnected.
Nye took a few steps forward, smiling gently to the door. "It's okay sweety, you can come out."
At first there was no sign of someone else being in the shack, until it swung open, Lydia running down the porch in a blur, and launching herself into Nye's arms.
The brunette grinned, easily picking up the girl and putting her on her hip. Lydia ducked her head, hiding it in Nye's neck as she mumbled something.
Nye nodded, listening to the girl that only she could pick up the whispers of.
Mason and Toby watched how Nye looked at the kid, and rubbed her back soothingly. Something hot and ugly started building in Mason, as he started experiencing jealousy maybe for the first time. Toby only frowned, feeling a minor sting of it, compared to Mason.
"Yeah, this is them." Nye whispered, rocking the girl, who whispered something else.
The smile on her face split wider, as Nye turned to her boys. "Yep. Mason and Toby." Lydia whispered another question, and Nye blushed. "He's the one with the leather vest, with wings.
Lydia nodded, and that was when the two boys noticed the goggles sitting there.
Mason scowled. The goggles didn't belong there.
After sharing a few hushed words with Tyreese, Rick looked over to Nye, and marched her way.
Nye was immediately on the defensive. "Whatever he told you was a-"
Because Lydia was being held by her, Rick chose to forget the hug, and put a sturdy hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you."
Nye swallowed, not knowing how to take such gratitude with any grace.
"You... you did the same for mine."
Rick smiled, but shook his head. "You helped save Carl by giving him blood back on the farm. And you got Judith out safely. Thank you."
Nye's eyes burned with new tears. "Yeah. I mean- No problem. I'd do it all again if they needed me too."
"Who's this?" Glenn gently asked, smiling softly at Lydia, who had been peeking around curiously.
She ducked her head again.
"This little cutie is Lydia. I promised that when I found you guys, we'd show her how a real group works."
Glenn nodded solemnly, understanding the underline message, that Lydia hadn't been with good people.
"Of course." Maggie pitched in, finding the shy girl adorable. "Lydia'll fit right in."
Mason and Toby stood back, sharing uncomfortable looks with each other. They hadn't ever had to share Nye with someone, except with each other.
"We need to go."
"Yeah, but where?" Daryl asked, watching as Lydia meekly put Nye's goggles back. Getting a smile in return, that was identical to the ones she often gave Mason and Toby.
"Somewhere far away from there."
"So, just start walking then?" Nye suggested, absently tickling Lydia's side. The ravenette squirmed and giggled, making Nye straighten up in success.
Abraham shared a silent look with Rosita and Eugene. Choosing to wait just a little longer before sharing the news about DC.
Much to the boys' dismay, Nye didn't put Lydia down once they started walking. She kept the girl in her hold, instead of taking her sons' hands again.
Mason glowered at the girl, falling in line with Daryl. After a beat, Toby started walking with the redneck and his brother too.
It stung when she didn't even say anything about it. Smiling down and whispering reassuring words to the newest member of the group. It was like once Lydia was in the picture, they became invisible.
Of course, in actuality Nye was hoping to give Mason and Toby a bit of space, since they had been walking hand-in-hand ever since meeting back up. And Lydia probably needed the attention more than they did, what with all the new people, which might be overwhelming for her.
Mason looked back, wincing at a sharp pain in his chest, when he saw Nye lost in her own little world with Lydia.
They were gone too long. That had to be it.
They were gone, and she replaced them.