The drive to Atlanta was agonizing. Rhiannon sat in the back of the truck, her hands tapping against her thighs erratically. Her emotions were running haywire, to the point where she didn't even know exactly what she was feeling.
On one hand, she was the happiest she'd ever been since they'd lost the prison. She finally had hope, she finally had a reason to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Getting Beth back would make everything better.
But she couldn't help but feel skeptical. What she'd heard about the hospital and the leader, Dawn, had her apprehensive and to lose any hope that she had felt.
She didn't know what to think and it had her mind reeling. She sighed heavily, feeling an intense headache coming on.
The looks Tyreese had been giving her throughout the drive hadn't been helping at all either. Since Gareth had revealed her deepest secret, he had been looking at her with the most sympathetic and caring expression. She hated it.
She was seconds away from snapping at him and telling him to stop when a voice called out to her, stopping her train of thoughts.
"You're Rhiannon, right?"
She looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly at the boy sitting across from her, the one Daryl had brought back.
"I'm Noah. I heard a lot about you. Beth was always talking about you and Maggie. She really loves you guys."
Rhiannon's chest tightened at the thought of Beth and the fact that she was all alone at that hospital. Knowing she'd talked about her didn't bring her joy like she thought it would. It just left her feeling guilty that her sister was alone, that she didn't try to find her sooner.
She didn't say anything, her scrutinizing gaze stayed locked onto the teenager that shifted nervously in his spot at her unwavering scowl. Beth had told him how protective her sisters were, especially Rhiannon, and Noah could tell now she hadn't been exaggerating at all.
"She helped me get out. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. She's a good person, I owe her a lot."
Rhiannon's gaze softened and she finally tore her intense scowl from him, making him sigh in relief.
"Thank you for helping us. We wouldn't be able to do this without you, so thanks." She said softly.
Noah smiled lightly, still feeling slightly intimidated by the woman in front of him, but realizing that her attitude with him was only because she was worried about her sister. He understood and he knew better than to take it personally.
"Of course. It's the least I could do for Beth."
His words had Rhiannon looking at him curiously, her eyes narrowing in question. Her first instinct was to scare him away from thinking of her sister as anything other than a friend, but she stopped herself.
When they got Beth back, she knew she would be happy to see the person she helped save and if something were to happen between the two teenagers, she didn't want to be what stood in their way.
She shook her head of the thoughts, she was getting ahead of herself. They needed to get Beth back first. That was a huge hurdle they needed to jump and her nerves returned tenfold at the thought of them failing.
The truck slowed to a stop, breaking her from her thoughts.
"We're here." Rick announced, his tone low and stern, which didn't help her nerves in the slightest.
Rhiannon was slow to get out of the truck. She turned as she felt a poke at her shoulder, grabbing the gun Tyreese was handing her nervously. She hoped they wouldn't need weapons. She hoped it wouldn't get to that point.
Daryl was quick to approach her as soon as he exited the truck. He eyed the gun in her hands, noticing the way she was holding it as if she didn't know how to use it. He could tell she was on edge, more than usual, and he felt at a loss as to what to say.
He didn't have words of comfort because he was just as nervous about their plan. If things went wrong, he didn't know what that would mean for them or for Beth or Carol and it terrified him.
Rhiannon looked up, her eyes meeting his, their mirroring looks of nervousness unsettling them both. She smiled weakly, noticing how agitated Daryl looked, like he wanted to say something but just couldn't form the words.
She knew he only ever wanted to help her, but didn't know how in that moment and the fact that he felt so torn up about it was sweet to her. He was always worrying about her and his own intense worries didn't hinder that in the slightest.
She gave him a weak smile, it was all she could muster at a time like this and she hoped it conveyed how grateful she was to him, how utterly lost she would be without him.
Daryl looked down at his feet, almost bashfully at the unwavering admiration in her eyes, no matter how clouded with worry they were, he still knew it was there. It was always there and it never failed to make him flustered.
They were both beacons of light to each other in moments like these, that would never change.
"Let's get movin'." Rick called out, motioning for everyone to follow him.
The good feeling between them, no matter how brief, was gone in an instant as they began to move slowly, following their leader almost reluctantly.
"This is gonna work." Daryl told her as they walked behind the group, his gruff voice almost startling her as she wasn't expecting it.
"I know." She responded, looking up at him with an expression of acceptance, like she wasn't going to argue with his empty promise. They kept walking in silence, their faces blank of every emotion that was weighing them down.
"It has to." She whispered, almost to herself. Her voice sounded weaker this time, like she was less sure, but unwilling to admit it.
Daryl tensed, he knew that tone all too well and he hated that she was left to feel hopeless time and time again. She'd given up on the world letting her have good things in her life, the losses that piled up had certainly given her the impression.
Daryl felt at a loss. He didn't know how to make her realize that they weren't doomed to fail. Sure, he was nervous about what could possibly happen, but that didn't mean he was resolved to be completely critical of their effort.
He had no idea what to do and he hated it.
It hadn't taken them long to get into position and put the plan into motion.
Rhiannon was next to Daryl and Rick, hiding behind a dumpster as they waited for the cops to arrive. They'd fired the shot a few minutes ago and they knew it would only be a matter of minutes before they came.
Her grip on her gun was tight enough to make her knuckles turn white. She really didn't have a good feeling about this.
From beside her, Rick noticed the ashen expression on her face. She wasn't acting like herself, she was usually very centered and focused in moments like these when they had to fight. She was good on the front lines, a valiant fighter, but now, he could clearly see the doubt on her face.
Her mind was running a million miles away from where it should have been and it worried him.
"Hey, you ok?" He whispered, catching her off guard. She nodded, though it was unconvincing by the way she refused to meet his eyes and quickly turned her attention back down to the weapon in her hand, as if to force herself not to pay attention to him.
It was only seconds later that they heard the squeal of tires as a cop car came rushing around the corner and sped toward the alley where they were all hiding.
They all simultaneously tensed, their grips on their weapons tightening.
Rhiannon sighed heavily as she heard the car stop right in front of their hiding place. She swallowed nervously as she heard the cops call out to Noah. She hoped they hadn't put the kid in too much danger. She didn't think she'd be able to live with herself if he got killed because of their plan.
Rick looked over at them, giving a signal to Sasha and Tyreese who were next to them. It was time to move.
"Where are those rotters you were shooting at?" The male cop asked the teenager as he zip tied his wrists behind his back.
Rick whistled to get their attention and the two cops immediately raised their weapons towards them. Their shoulders tensed when they realized the amount of guns that were pointed at them.
"What do you want?"
"You do what we say and we won't hurt you." Rick warned darkly.
The cops shared a look before admitting defeat and putting their hands up in surrender.
"Good. Now turn around. Put your guns on the ground and kneel." Rick ordered and Rhiannon was more than surprised when they complied without question.
Maybe this plan wasn't going to fall to pieces.
Rhiannon took the gun Daryl handed her that the female cop had dropped at her feet. She eyed the two of them suspiciously as she tucked the weapon into her waistband. She didn't get what they were doing, why they continued to wear the uniform and act that they still had power when the world had fallen.
It just seemed down right egotistical to her.
"That's Lamson. He'll be down for this, he's one of the good ones." Noah told them quietly. He could tell Rhiannon was on edge and he knew any reassurance he could give her, no matter how slight, would be good for her.
She turned her attention to him, almost looking as if she didn't quite believe him, before nodding slowly.
Suddenly, another car suddenly raced into the alleyway, headed straight towards them. Bullets began flying rapidly, causing them all to scatter to avoid being hit.
Daryl was quick to push her in front of him as they ducked for cover.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me." She spat through gritted teeth as she pulled the rifle off her shoulder and began firing at the car that sped off with the cops they had captured, now unsuccessfully.
Their upper hand was gone as quickly as it had come.
Rhiannon almost dropped her gun, her chest heaved with each breath and she felt close to spiralling. Everything was falling apart, she knew it would. She felt as though she was only getting further away from ever seeing Beth or Carol again.
The thought had tears springing to her eyes.
"C'mon, let's move." Daryl yelled and the others nodded, beginning to run after the car.
Rhiannon stayed in her spot, her feet refusing to move no matter how much her mind screamed at her to run, to try her hardest to make this plan work.
Daryl's steps faltered as he looked over his shoulder and noticed Rhiannon hadn't been following. The others kept their pace, running past him as his face fell and he ran back towards Rhiannon who looked seconds away from crumbling.
"Hey, c'mon, you can't lose it on me now." He said, standing in front of her, his hands holding onto her shoulders tightly. He leaned down so his eyes were level with hers, forcing her to look directly at him. "This ain't over. We'll get 'em back and we'll make this work."
Rhiannon opened her mouth to retaliate, but he quickly shut her down before she could even begin.
"No, I don't wanna hear any kind of bullshit that's goin' on in your head. We got this, we always do."
Rhiannon sighed heavily, allowing herself a second of impulse as she leaned her head against his chest, his hand coming to rest on the back of her head, his fingers mussing through her hair.
"C'mon, I can't do this without you." He whispered.
Rhiannon sniffled and nodded, her eyes cast down to the ground as she began to feel incredibly embarrassed for shutting down at the first inconvenience. That wasn't like her. It was usually her trying to calm Daryl's temper when things didn't go their way, not the other way around.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
Daryl frowned and shook his head. "Ain't got nothin' to be sorry for."
He held his hand out for her, which she took instantly and allowed herself to finally move. It didn't take long for them to catch up with the others who they found peering into the bullet littered car that was now empty.
"No sign of them." Rick said, giving the two of them a quick once over. He wasn't going to question what had just happened, not now at least. He could tell by the look on Rhiannon's face that it was better to just let it go now.
Their movements were slow as they stepped over the rotted corpses that lay scattered across the lot. Rhiannon spared a quick glance at them but cringed at the sight and immediately raised her gaze to avoid the gruesome sight.
The sound of crunching gravel had them all looking up just in time to see the three cops running out of the lot.
"Let's go!" Rick yelled, immediately running after them.
Rhiannon didn't think twice this time before following. She felt desperation creeping through her veins as she sprinted. She knew how important this was, she wasn't going to let them slip through their fingers, not when Beth and Carol were on the line.
She raised her gun, her eyes moving frantically over the street, looking for any sign of them.
"There!" Sasha yelled.
A loud gunshot made her flinch before she realized it was just Sasha firing at their targets. Rhiannon cursed under her breath as the others ran towards them.
She followed, but her steps faltered when she realized there were only two of them. Her heart sunk at the realization and she was quickly turning on her heel, her eyes frantically moving up and down the street.
Her chest tightened when she realized there was someone else missing.
"Where's Daryl?" She asked, her voice dangerously low, betraying just how scared she was.
She didn't give any more thought and without even sparing a look back at the others she began running back to the lot, ignoring Rick's voice that called out to her.
Her heart was in her throat as she sprinted back to where she'd last seen him. Her grip was tight on her gun, preparing for the worst, as she slowed her pace so she could be more discreet than just blindly sprinting into danger. She almost stopped in her tracks when she saw Daryl on his back, the cop on top of his struggling form, trying to strangle him. Rhiannon grit her teeth and stode forward angrily.
Daryl was gasping with exertion as he tried to reach for a weapon and avoid the walker next to him that was snapping its jaws dangerously close to his face.
Suddenly, like a mirage, he saw a flash of blonde and his eyes widened as he saw Rhiannon use the butt of her rifle to slam the man fighting him on the back of his head.
The cop crumbled to the ground, groaning in pain, his hands clutching his head that throbbed from the blow he'd received.
Rhiannon quickly fell to her knees, helping Daryl sit up. Her wide eyes scanned over his face, over his body, looking for any sign that he was seriously hurt. Thankfully, Rick was right behind her to keep the cop at bay as she fussed over Daryl.
"Are you ok?" She asked breathlessly. He nodded, slowly getting to his feet. Her hands refused to leave his, her eyes were still roaming his body, worried that he'd been hurt, that the cop had injured him or the walker at his side had done damage. She was still breathing heavily, her mind racing with all the worst possibilities.
"I'm good. It's alright." He told her, his hands squeezing hers, bringing her back into reality. He kept his hand in hers as he turned to Rick, his face creasing in concern when he saw that Rick was still pointing his gun at the cop, his finger hovering over the trigger, as if he hadn't yet decided if he was going to pull it or not.
"Rick." He called out, but the leader remained still, his gun unwavering from its target. "Rick." Daryl called again, this time louder and more stern, finally getting the man's attention. "Three's better than two."
Rick looked back at the man on his knees in front of him before sighing deeply and finally lowering his weapon. He moved swiftly, hauling the man to his feet, keeping a tight grip on his arm as he practically dragged him forward.
"Let's move." Rick ordered and began to make his way back to the others.
Rhiannon and Daryl shared a look of concern. Rick had been through a lot and there had been moments when he hadn't always kept it together, when he let his emotions get the best of him and he acted out more aggressively than needed.
They worried he was falling into the same pattern.
"C'mon." Daryl said quietly, his hand falling to the small of her back as he urged her forward.
Rhiannon stayed quiet as they met with the others. She didn't partake in apprehending the three cops and leading them to the abandoned warehouse they'd scouted earlier. She didn't want to be anywhere near these cops, she didn't think she'd be capable of talking to them without breaking down and getting on her knees to beg them to help her get her baby sister back.
She didn't want to show weakness in front of them so she kept her distance.
As soon as they were back at the warehouse and the cops were tied up, she noticed Rick and Daryl both kneeling down to talk to each of them. Rhiannon hesitated. She wanted to be a part of it, she wanted to help, especially since this concerned her baby sister, but she wasn't in the right headspace.
She was so concerned for Carol and her sister, it wasn't allowing her to think rationally. She'd already had a moment where she froze and she couldn't let that happen again. Being around these cops weren't helping her gather her sanity, they were making it worse.
She exhaled shakily and without a word to anyone, turned on her heel and left the room.
The seclusion that greeted her was welcome and in a way, she hated that it did. She wrung her hands together nervously, her teeth biting at her bottom lip roughly.
She knew what she was doing, it was what she always did when things got difficult with her family. She could feel herself beginning to shut down and she didn't know how to stop it.
It happened after her mother died and she'd pulled away from her family completely, it happened after her father had gotten bit and she refused to be by his side and watch him in pain, it happened after he died and she closed in on herself and barely spoke. And it was starting to happen again.
The idea of something happening to her baby sister, to Carol, it had her feeling sick to her stomach. This had to work and the threat that it wouldn't was too much for her to fathom.
She paced back and forth, her heart racing within her chest. She kept on for a few minutes, her mind running a mile a minute with torturous thoughts she had no control of stopping.
As she turned on her heel to continue her angsty pacing, she stopped in her tracks, startling slighty and placing a hand over her heart at the sight of Daryl standing in the doorway, his body stiff, his face drawn tightly.
"Hey." She smiled softly, though it was weak, not portraying any kind of ease or happiness.
"What's goin' on with you?" He asked bluntly, not having enough patience to beat around the bush.
She paused, surprised by his tone, and she averted her gaze from his. She didn't want to admit her weakness, she didn't want anyone else to know the torment happening in her mind, though she was sure it was obvious enough and they all knew.
"Rhi, you ain't actin' like yourself. Haven't been for a long time now." He said, his tone now softer than it had been initially as he moved towards her slowly.
"Can you blame me?" She snapped back harshly, her own patience wearing thin. " After everything that's happened, you really expect me to just bounce back like none of it was real?"
"You know I don't. But you were feelin' better, you were moving on, you told me that yourself." He argued back, unable to keep his annoyance from seeping through his stern tone. "I know this is hard, I know this is risky, but it's our only chance. It ain't like you to shut down like this so drop the bullshit and tell me what's really goin' on."
Rhiannon's face dropped, all anger leaving her as she frowned deeply, her resolve beginning to crumble.
"Too much has happened too fast. I can't even keep up with what I'm supposed to be upset about, I just know that I'm upset. I so fucking mad that I'm not becoming a mom, that I'll never see my father again, that Maggie and Glenn left. And I know you came back and I know it was for a good reason but I'm so fucking mad that you left without teling me." She ranted without taking a breath.
Daryl was biting his lip roughly, he didn't know what to say. He didn't want her to be mad at him and he thought she wasn't anymore. He didn't know what he had to do to make it up to her.
"Rhi.. I-"
"No, I know why you did it, you found Beth and that means everything to me. I shouldn't be mad and I feel so stupid that I am."
"Hey, hey, don't say that." He said fiercely, his hands reaching out to grab hers.
"I just…" She trailed off, contemplating if she should reveal what she truly felt. "I haven't been myself in a long time, I know that. And when you left, I thought that… I thought you really left me. I've been moping for weeks and I was worried that you'd had enough of it." She admitted quietly, her eyes refusing to meet his.
Daryl was stunned to silence at her words. The thought that he would willingly leave her was too asinine for him fathom. He shook his head, physically having to force himself to move past the shock of her admittance.
"I can't- you know I would never- fuck, Rhi, there's nothing in this world that would ever make me leave you."
"But what if I don't change?" She argued back. "What if I don't feel better, what if I never get back to who I was before? What if, months later, you realize you don't wanna deal with me anymore?"
Daryl squeezed her hands tightly, leaning his forehead against hers.
"Nothin' will ever change how I feel about you or how much you mean to me." He said slowly, as if it would make her finally understand.
Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut to avoid him seeing them fill with tears. His hands reached up to cradle her cheeks, he knew that she was close to breaking and he felt like he needed to do everything in his power to try and stop it.
"Daryl, if this doesn't work, if I don't get to see Beth again, it will break me. I don't know if I'd ever get back who I was before." She whispered.
Daryl let out a shaking breath. He didn't want to admit that the thought had run through his mind. He worried about Rhiannon and what would happen if this plan didn't work. It left him feeling more anxious than he thought was possible and he knew he needed to do whatever it took to keep this from falling apart.
"Rhiannon, I swear on my life I will do everything I can to get her back. I ain't gonna let you hurt anymore."
"Daryl, you can't-"
"No, I am. I'm done with seein' you like this. You deserve to be happy and god damnit, I'm gonna make it happen." He spoke fiercely, letting her feel every bit of desperation and love that his words held.
Rhiannon looked up at the man that held her tightly, her eyes wide and her lips parted in surprise. No one in her life had ever held so much conviction to her, no one had ever worked so hard for her happiness, no one had ever cared so much about her happiness than him.
He had her believing the impossible. He always had her feeling comforted by his promises, no matter how outlandish they were because she knew he would do everything physically possible to make it happen. She let out a weak sounding laugh, shaking her head, almost in disbelief.
"I don't know how the hell you're able to do this to me." She whispered, making him look at her questioningly, almost nervously. "It doesn't matter how close to the edge I am, you always bring me back."
Daryl sighed in relief, happy that he hadn't made things worse like he'd worried he'd done.
"And you're a liar."
Daryl pulled away from her, his brows furrowed at her words.
"You've said you didn't know how to talk to women and that's absolute bullshit." She explained, a smile growing on her face, lighting up her features.
Daryl scoffed in amusement, not expecting the lighthearted jab. "Only one woman I know how to talk to."
"Well, you're nailing it, just so you know."
Daryl smirked lightly, feeling bashful at her praise.
"You good?"
Rhiannon nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Thank you… for everything."
Daryl's arms snaked around her waist, holding her closely.
"You never gotta thank me." He whispered and moved forward, leaning down to press his lips to hers, but she pulled away when he was only inches away, causing his face to fall. The deeply hurt look on his face made her heart ache and she quickly reached up to brush her hands against his cheeks.
"I'm sorry, but you're filthy." She explained with a laugh and his face relaxed, a soft laugh escaping him.
"Oh, really? That bothers you?" He teased, his voice low.
"Uhh, yeah."
Daryl moved quickly, catching her off guard. She squealed as he tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her into his chest and lifting her off her feet so she had no choice but to cling onto him, her hands clutching his dirt ridden biceps.
"Daryl!" She laughed, her legs wrapping around his waist to make sure she didn't fall out of his grip, though she was sure he'd never let that happen.
"It still bother you?" He asked teasingly.
"Yes." She answered plainly, pretending to be annoyed, though he could see the amusement in her eyes and her growing smile. Rhiannon sighed, one that wasn't laced with pessimism, but one that was finally of contentment.
"I don't know how the hell you keep me smiling, but never stop doing it, no matter how bitter I might get." She said quietly and Daryl immediately shook his head, his grip on her tightening slightly, as if to let her know he was there and he was never leaving.
"I won't." He assured her.
The couple held onto each other tightly, reveling in the peaceful moment, knowing it was the only relief they'd get for a while, given that the next step of their plan would soon be in motion. They allowed themselves to be selfish, just for a moment, before they had to get serious again.
After everything they'd been through since the prison, they knew they needed to grab these moments whenever they possibly could.
"Hey guys?" Tyreese called out, his footsteps faltering when he entered the room and saw the position they were in.
They both look up, their eyes wide and faces burning with a fierce blush as Daryl clumsily let Rhiannon back to her feet.
"Sorry." Tyreese said awkwardly, averting his gaze from them.
"What's up?" Daryl asked, trying desperately to move past the embarrassment he felt at getting caught, no matter how innocent their moment had been. Getting caught showing that loving side of him to anyone but Rhiannon was embarrassing in itself.
"We got a problem." He answered darkly, causing both of their faces to fall and their bodies to stiffen.
Rhiannon and Daryl were quick to follow Tyreese out of the room, Daryl's steps were particularly heavy, conveying just how close he was to exploding with annoyed anger. These damn cops were proving to be too much trouble than they were worth, whether they needed them or not.
Rhiannon increased her pace, running towards Sasha when she noticed the bloody gash on her forehead.
"Holy shit, are you ok?" She asked frantically, kneeling down beside her friend.
Sasha nodded and then immediately winced at the pain the action had caused. Rhiannon rested her hand on Sasha's back, helping her get to her feet.
"What happened?" Daryl asked forcefully. "Where's Rick?"
"He went after Lamson. Bastard knocked her out and ran." Tyreese explained.
Rhiannon grit her teeth, wanting nothing more than to scream as loud as she could to let out all her frustrations.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been-" Sasha began.
"Don't even go there." Rhiannon cut her off. "It's not your fault these people are pricks."
Sasha nodded, though she still seemed to feel guilty, despite Rhiannon's assurances. The group waited in an agonizing silence for Rick to get back. No one knew what to say, no one knew what to suggest to make everything better, they just stayed silent.
They weren't left waiting long and they all tensed in anticipation as Rick walked into the room. Rhiannon's breath hitched in her throat when she noticed that Lamson was nowhere to be seen.
That wasn't a good sign.
Daryl immediately stepped forward to get the story from Rick. Rhiannon stayed back, watching the two men with her heart in her throat. The stiffness of their shoulders and the way Daryl looked at the remaining two cops sternly did not make her feel good.
They all knew Dawn would want revenge if she knew Rick had killed one of her men. They couldn't let that happen, they couldn't let her figure out the truth.
They two men finally disbanded, nodded to the rest of the group to follow them as they made their way to the other two cops who were still tied up, guilty expressions on their faces when they saw the wound on Sasha's forehead.
"Your partner said we could make this work, said we could make the trade, and he took off." Rick said darkly, staring down at the two cops accusingly.
"We had nothing to do with that." The male cop said, looking up at Rick and then to Sasha, almost pleadingly.
"We had no idea he was planning on running, I swear." The female added.
Rick sighed heavily, tiredly running his hand down his face. He didn't know what to believe at this point. Rhiannon noticed the derision on his face that was almost over powered by the exhaustion he was trying so desperately to hide. She squared her shoulders, she knew it was finally time to step up.
"That blonde girl you guys picked up a few weeks back, you know her?" She spoke up, surprising everyone around her. Daryl almost looked like he wanted to intervene, he knew how sensitive she was about this and he also knew how much she despised showing weakness to others, especially strangers.
He didn't know what her game plan was and it worried him.
"Beth." The female officer answered quietly, almost shamefully, like she was aware of the pain they had caused.
"That's my sister. My youngest sister." Rhiannon admitted, her voice low, like she didn't have the energy to speak any more firmly. "I held her when she was a baby. I sang to her when she was sick. I have protected her the best I could and I'm trying to stay cordial here, I know we all want this to go well, to leave with our lives, but if you keep standing in my way of getting to her I can't continue to play nice and it won't end well for you." She threatened, her voice finally finding the power and intensity she felt as she spoke sternly to them.
The cops were silent as they regarded her intently. She noticed a twitch in the cheek of the female cop and she looked down, as if to gather her emotions, before she cleared her throat.
"Lamson was a good man. He was attacked by rotters. We saw it go down." She said simply, her lie a pledge of allegiance to them.
"You're a damn good liar." Rick mused, still hesitant to trust them.
"We're hanging on by a thread here. And so are you." She argued back. "He was attacked by rotters, that's our story. You want your sister back and we're gonna help." She said, now looking directly at Rhiannon.
"If this is some bullshit you're spinnin' and things go south..." Daryl started, feeling uncomfortable with her attention solely on Rhiannon. They didn't know these people, didn't know what they were capable of and despite the fact that they seemed moved by Rhiannon's words, he was unsettled by the attention it had garnered her.
"I know." The female cop interjected. "I know what happens. But I know the good ones from the bad. Beth is good and none of us want a bloodshed, this is how we avoid it."
Rick nodded slightly, taking in her words. "What about you?" He asked, taking a threatening step towards the male cop. "You wanna live?"
"Dawn's afraid she'll look weak in front of us. Think's it'll tip things against her." The male cop admitted. "She'll see this trade as a rip off if she thinks you took out one of our guys."
All of them tensed simultaneously. Rhiannon bowed her head in defeat. She knew it wouldn't work if they were one man short, she knew it was falling apart the second she knew Lamson was gone.
"So it's a good thing Lamson got taken down by rotters." He said with finality, giving Rick a pointed look.
Rhiannon's lips parted in surprise and she looked over at Daryl, as if disbelieving that the two cops in front of them were willing to cooperate. Daryl just nodded to her, a silent way to tell her to have some faith, something she'd been lacking this whole day.
"Alright." Rick nodded, his face softening, finally easing on the threatening tone he'd been using. "Let's get moving."
Rhiannon felt her heart swell and her body was tingling with anticipation as they moved to the next phase of the plan. She almost didn't even realize they'd moved position until she felt the light breeze against her skin as they took their position on the roof of the parking garage that overlooked where Rick planned to meet the other cops from the hospital. All she could think about was the smile on Beth's face when they came to rescue her.
Rhiannon stayed back to watch the cops as the others took their position at the edge with their rifles pointed. Daryl was the last to leave, grabbing her arm and pulling her over so they could be secluded from the others.
"You sure you wanna watch them? I can stay and you can take my gun-"
"Daryl, it's fine." She cut him off. No job seemed desirable now, but she found she was less on edge around them after they'd agreed to lie for them. Finally telling them about Beth and what she meant to them had seemed to soften things, it seemed to make the cops look at them in a different light.
"I can handle this." She assured him. She found it laughable that he'd be so worried about her when they were still in close proximity. And she had Noah to help her guard them.
Daryl nodded, though he still looked unsure, hesitant to leave her alone.
"Just yell if you need anything."
Rhiannon rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm gonna be 10 feet from you." She reminded him.
He rolled his eyes, too, though less playfully than she had.
"Yell if you need anything." He told her again, his tone stressing how serious he was. He didn't trust those cops and he sure as hell didn't trust them around Rhiannon.
Rhiannon smiled, watching him as he left, making his way to the edge. She admired the way the muscles in his arms bulged as he aimed his rifle over the edge of the building. She abruptly shook her head, now wasn't the time for her mind to go there.
She walked back to where the cops were sitting, their hands still tied behind their backs. Rhiannon stepped around them, checking their bindings to make sure they weren't digging into their skin and causing a bloody mess.
"You guys ok? It doesn't hurt?"
They seemed surprised by her question and they spared a look, silently communicating their shock.
"We're ok." The female cop answered.
There was an awkward silence amongst them as Rhiannon watched the backs of Daryl, Sasha and Tyreese, as if that would give her any ideas as to how the negotiating was going with Rick.
"We really are trying to make this work." The female cop spoke up, making Rhiannon turn her head abruptly, staring at the woman in surprise. "I had a sister too. She was 5 years younger. I lost her the day everything started." The woman admitted.
Rhiannon averted her eyes. The thought had tears springing to her eyes and she had to look away. She couldn't fathom what that had felt like and the feeling of sympathy for the cop before her was strange for her to realize.
"I would've done anything to save her and I would give anything to see her again. So I'm gonna make sure you get to see yours again."
Rhiannon swallowed the lump in her throat and she suddenly realized why the woman had been so willing to cooperate after she'd told them about Beth. It all made sense.
"What was her name?" Rhiannon asked, her voice quiet, not able to be any louder.
"Rachel." The cop answered, her eyes swimming with tears. The despair Rhiannon saw on her face made her sure she could trust her. No one experiencing that kind of loss and heartbreak could be capable of a malicious scheme. She was assured that they'd lie for them.
Rhiannon nodded, giving her a look of sincerity, one that showed just how grateful she was to the woman, one that showed every bit of vulnerability she was feeling. The cop smiled lightly, knowing the woman in front of her wasn't cold hearted at all like she'd first thought, she was just desperate to get her family back, and she couldn't fault her at all.
"Alright, let's get movin'." Daryl announced.
Rhiannon was immediately on edge again, her body tensing with anticipation. They were so close.
She couldn't help the smile that grew at the thought. The heaviness on Daryl's chest lifted as he saw the look on her face and he knew that she had hope, finally.
"You ready?" He asked and she nodded eagerly. Daryl could barely contain a smile himself and he quickly pressed a kiss to her forehead and grabbed her hand as they made their way down to meet with Rick.
Rhiannon was in a daze as they made their way to the hospital. Her chest tightened and she felt as though she could barely breathe as they stood before the large building. Beth was in there. She was only moments away from seeing her baby sister and it had her heart racing.
Daryl could feel the nervous energy radiating off her and he moved one hand off of the back of the male cop he was guiding to grab her hand reassuringly, giving her a firm nod as they walked up the stairs of the building.
Rhiannon was practically on the verge of tears as they pushed through the doors entering the hallway where she saw a group of cops standing. Her heart burst and she almost whimpered audibly when she saw Beth and Carol.
Rhiannon couldn't even pay attention to what was being said, all she could focus on was her sister. She saw Beth smile from across the room, her eyes filling with tears as she looked to her big sister.
She finally snapped out of her daze when she saw Carol being pushed forward in her wheelchair. Daryl was immediately stepping forward, meeting them in the middle and taking the bag from the cop that pushed the chair without a second glance.
Rhiannon was moving before she could process it. Carol stood from the chair slowly and before she was even fully out of it, Rhiannon's arms were wrapped around her tightly, but gently, still mindful of her injuries.
"Are you ok?" Rhiannon whispered. Carol nodded, feeling tears spring to her eyes as she looked down at her dear friend.
"I'm ok." She assured her. Carol wiped a tear from Rhiannon's cheek with her thumb, almost startling the poor girl who didn't even realize she'd been crying.
She looked down briefly, taking a deep breath to calm herself, before looking up, wanting to make sure that Beth was traded safely.
Rhiannon spared a look with the female cop as she passed. There was a small smile on the woman's face, barely perceptible, but it was there. Rhiannon knew she was happy that things were going well and it made Rhiannon's heart ache. The woman never got this moment and she knew she needed to savour it, needed to count her blessings that she was able to get her sister back because there were people in the world that never got the chance.
As Rick made the trade, he held Beth tightly, making sure she was ok, before nudging her towards Rhiannon who looked ready to practically jump her sister with excitement.
Beth let out a cry as she ran into Rhiannon's arms. Rhiannon let out a shaking breath as she held her tightly.
It felt like a dream to hold her again. She had spent weeks thinking she'd never get to be able to again, but here she was, holding her tightly. She was starting to think that maybe the world wasn't so awful after all.
Beth pulled away from the embrace, wiping her tears away, as she kept her gaze on her big sister, as though she was dreaming as well.
Beth's gaze lowered and her hand moved to cover Rhiannon's stomach, giving her sister a look of excitement.
She felt as though her heart had dropped to her feet. Beth didn't know about the miscarriage and that was the last thing Rhiannon ever wanted to tell her baby sister. She smiled stiffly, covering Beth's hand with her own.
The smile Beth gave her was worth the lie.
Rhiannon felt awful, but there was no way she could tell her now, in front of the people who'd kept her hostage for weeks. It wasn't right.
She'd tell her later, once the shock and happiness of getting her back had worn off. She didn't want to ruin the moment, she didn't want her happiness, that she'd finally found, to dim at the memory of her lost baby.
She felt a hand on her back and she turned, finding Daryl smiling down at Beth. Her baby sister smiled and jumped into Daryl's arm, hugging him tightly.
Rhiannon was surprised by the display, but a smile tugged at her lips at the sight of Daryl's shock as he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her.
She remembered what Daryl had told her. She was his sister now too. It meant the world to her that the man she loved with all of her heart got along so well with the people that meant more to her than she could ever explain.
"I'm glad we could work this out." Dawn said, but the lack of smile or relief on her face had Rhiannon tensing. She immediately didn't like the woman and she wrapped her arm around Beth's waist, keeping her glued to her side as if in fear that Dawn would immediately tear her sister away from her.
They all began to leave, joyous that everything had worked in their favour, when Dawn's voice broke the silence again.
"Now I just need Noah. Then you could leave."
Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to face the group again, their faces drawn tightly. Rhiannon felt her heart beginning to race again. This was exactly what she feared.
She listened to Dawn's bullshit reasoning to keep him and she rolled her eyes.
"Rhi, we can't let her do this." Beth whispered to her.
Rhiannon could clearly see the hurt on her face, the desperation to make sure her friend would stay safe and she sighed, nodding slowly.
"My officers put their lives on the line to find him. One of them died."
"Well that was on you and your choice to keep slaves around here." Rhiannon interjected sharply, glaring at the woman fiercely.
"He ain't stayin'" Daryl growled, stepping in front of the sisters protectively.
"He's one of mine, you have no claim on him."
Rhiannon rolled her eyes so hard she feared they would stay in the back of her head. The woman was ridiculous and she wanted nothing more than to give her a swift punch to the nose.
"The boy wants to go home, so you have no claim on him."
"Then we don't have a deal."
Rhiannon's face paled and her grip on Beth tightened. She felt her sister squeeze her back, equally as nervous about what was going to happen.
Rhiannon knew this wouldn't end easy. There was no way she was letting these people get their hands back on her sister. She sighed heavily as Noah stepped up, willing to sacrifice himself for Beth and Carol's freedom.
"It's not ok." Beth whispered, an anger Rhiannon had never heard before laced in her tone. "Wait!" She called out, running from her sister's arms to hug Noah tightly.
Rhiannon stepped forward, hesitant to have her even five feet away from her, but she let Beth have this moment, she knew she needed to say goodbye to her friend. Her heart ached for Noah and she didn't know what to do to help him, it left her feeling sick thinking they had to leave him there to get what they wanted.
It didn't feel right.
"I knew you'd be back." Dawn said, smirking wickedly.
Rhiannon tensed, taking a tentative step forward as Beth approached Dawn. She was seconds away from lunging at her sister and dragging her away from the woman, but she didn't. Beth was different, she was stronger than before, more willing to step up for herself and Rhiannon didn't want to take that moment away from her.
Rhiannon wanted to be proud of her sister for her new found bravery, but it all crumbled before she could comprehend what was happening.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Rhiannon yelled Beth's name when she saw the glint of the silver scissors as they plunged into Dawn's shoulder. She flinched at the sound of a gunshot that followed and her heart stopped as she saw her baby sister fall to the floor.
Rhiannon's body stood stiff as stone. She stared down at her sister and the blood pooling around her, her face slack with no expression, like it didn't register. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
She's not dead
Beth isn't gone
She can't be
Not her
This can't be real
Her body trembled and her breath came out in gasps as reality began to sink in. She didn't flinch at the sound of another gunshot, she barely even noticed it, as she fell to her knees, her chest heaving with every panicked breath that escaped her.
She reached out slowly, her face still slack with shock as she moved Beth onto her back. The sight of her lifeless eyes that stared back at her, void of any love, any happiness that Rhiannon was so used to seeing caused the first crack of her heart.
Then the tears began to fall.
"Beth." Rhiannon choked out, pulling her sister into her arms, cradling her like she was an infant, the way she used to all those years ago.
She was gone. Her baby sister was gone.
"No, no, no, no." She muttered, her eyes briefly seeing the bloody hole in her forehead before they quickly moved away, not able to stand the sight. It made it real.
Rhiannon sobbed as she held her close. As realization sunk in, she began to cry harder and harder until she was screaming with despair, calling her name as if it would miraculously wake her.
She screamed for her sister until her throat hurt, until she felt like she couldn't breathe.
She flinched, her hold on Beth's limp body tightening when she felt a gentle graze on her back. She looked up, barely able to make out Daryl through her tears.
His breathing was laboured, soft cries leaving him as he spared a look at the lifeless girl in Rhiannon's arms. He exhaled shakily, more tears falling down his cheeks as he leaned his forehead against Rhiannon's, their cries intermingling.
Each of Rhiannon's agonized wails were a dagger in his heart, another crack, another piece broken. He wiped his tears and reached out for Beth, but Rhiannon just held onto her tighter.
"No, no, no, you can't take her." Rhiannon cried, her voice bordering on hysteria. "Don't take her from me, please, please, don't take her."
"It's just me." Daryl whispered, his voice breaking as he spoke. "I'll be careful, darlin', I promise."
Rhiannon hesitated, looking down at her sister again. She didn't want to let her go, but she knew they couldn't stay, she didn't want to be anywhere near these people, whether the woman responsible was dead or not.
She leaned down, pressing a kiss to Beth's cheek. Her hands moved a strand of her from her face, her beautiful face that she'd never see smile again. Rhiannon swallowed thickly and let out another sob.
She whimpered mournfully as Daryl slowly took Beth from her arms. She immediately fell forward, bracing herself against the floor on her hands as she cried, her body shaking with each sob of despair.
She felt hands on her shoulder, making her tense and shy away from the touch and she instinctively shook her head, hoping they would understand that she felt physically unable to move.
"Come on, we gotta go." A hushed voice told her. Rick.
He wrapped his arms around her, helping her get to her feet, but it was no use. Her limbs refused to work and he had to practically carry her out of the room.
Her cries echoed through the stairwell as they left the hospital. They were almost to the door when she collapsed in Rick's arms, her breathing unnervingly fast and rigid. Her eyes were locked onto Beth's limp body in Daryl's arms and she couldn't stand the sight.
Daryl stopped in his tracks, his tear filled eyes finding her and his heart broke all over again as he saw he curled into herself on the floor, crying for her baby sister.
"I can't, I can't do it, I can't." She cried, shaking her head.
Rick kneeled down next to her, wiping the tears from her cheeks, though they were falling so steadily he couldn't keep up. He took her hands that were shaking just as much as his and held them tightly.
"It's ok, it's ok." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. She just shook her head.
It wasn't ok. It was never going to be ok.
Carol moved towards her slowly, wincing as she leaned down to kneel next to Rhiannon.
"We gotta keep moving." She said softly, her hands gently gliding through Rhiannon's hair, an act of comfort that she didn't even register, her mind was solely focused on Beth and the blank look in her eyes.
She knew that image would haunt her forever.
Carol and Rick shared a look, both of their eyes filled with tears. They were worried about her and they didn't know what to do. They just knew they had to move. They gently helped Rhiannon back up to her feet, making sure their grips were tight so she wouldn't fall again, and they continued to make their way out of the hospital.
Rhiannon's sobs and sniffles were painful for everyone around to hear and they all stayed mournfully quiet as they walked.
Maggie couldn't help but smile as they approached the entrance to the hospital. She was so close.
Hearing that Beth was alive had felt like she could finally breathe again after holding her breath for so long. She was practically buzzing with excitement.
She perked up when the door opened. She was so excited to see Beth that she didn't notice the ashen expression on Sasha's face, she didn't notice how Carol cried as Tyreese helped her walk.
Then Rhiannon came out.
She was snapped out of her daze and her heart abruptly dropped to her stomach and her body stiffened as she saw her sister crying hysterically, Rick having to help support her so she didn't fall to the ground.
Something was wrong. Something terrible had happened and her mind wouldn't allow her to jump to the obvious conclusion. She couldn't let it. She couldn't fathom it.
Until Daryl walked out.
The gun Maggie was holding dropped out of her hands and she fell to her knees, much like the way Rhiannon had done when it had happened, and she screamed, an agonized scream that struck everyone that heard it.
Rhiannon cried until she had nothing left. She felt Rick's grip on her loosen and she was about to protest, fearing she'd collapse to the ground without his help, until strong arms wrapped around her.
Michonne hugged her tightly, holding her as the sound of her cries and Maggie's drowned out every other noise in the world.
I hated writing this… but this dreaded moment had to come. I hope I did this monumental moment justice and I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, no matter how depressing it was.
I know these are crazy times and I hope you're all staying safe! Sending my love to all of you out there! xx
