A/N: I just wanted to quickly thank you all guys for reading! It's great to see everyday reads, growing every day. But most of all... .2021, girl (I think, lol), you've been with me since June, consistently commenting and supporting this story. And even though most of this is only a two-word commentary, I want you to know how much I appreciate that you acknowledge and support All This Time! Thank you so, so much!
Cheers :)
Day 495
I forgot how it is, surviving on the road. That you stretch yourself short, nearly to the point of collapsing. Exhaustion caught up to me pretty fast, though, and I layed down next to Lucy, hugging her small body to mine in the early hours of the morning.
And when I woke up again, a few hours later, I felt even worse than before I fell asleep. I pried my eyes open and groaned lowly, memories of last night swirling through my mind. Fucking Terminus people and Daryl... I gritted my teeth and slowly sat up. I'm not going to fucking think about him. For whatever reason, he ditched the ship, fine.
The worst thing I could do to myself would be wallow in my misery. Right now, I needed to push forward and see what Rick's plan was. I finally realized that Lucy wasn't next to me, which made me jump to my feet, looking around hastily. A breath of relief escaped me when I spotted the girl on the floor next to the altar, playing with Judith and Axel.
The man noticed me and smiled in my direction. "They in there, saying goodbyes." Axel motioned towards the office where Bob was sleeping, and I sighed.
"Thanks, Axel. You good with them?" I asked him, coming closer and grabbing a strip of meat from last night, chewing on it slowly.
"Sure thing, Boss. They're cute and calm, better than any kids I even knew, you know?"
"I guess it's growing up in an apocalypse," I answered quietly. "You learn how to be quiet. I'm going to speak to Bob for a moment, and then I have something for you."
I moved towards the office and heard several voices inside talking, and I pushed the doors open gently, to not interrupt them too much. I received a small nod from Oscar and Merle when they noticed me, and Bob was just talking to Tyreese quietly on his bed.
It was about twenty more minutes when the room was almost cleared out, and I found myself walking towards the Black man. Gently I perched myself next to him, sure to not cause him any discomfort.
"Hey, I never said it," Bob started, and I saw his face twist in pain for a moment before he smiled at me. "To thank you- for saving me that day."
"Nothing to thank for, Bob. That's what we do," I answered softly, holding his hand and squeezing it a little.
"Yet, you didn't have to. Take strangers in." Bob started coughing, and I helped him have a sip of water before he continued.
"He'll come back. I don't know why they left, but Daryl would never leave you."
"Bob," I interrupted him, tears welling in my eyes again, my throat scratchy. "Please don't. It's not about him and me. It's about you. You are one of the most positive people I met in my life. Always finding something to smile about."
"And you always know what to say, how to keep those people calm and together."
I laughed at that and shook my head. "You should've seen me last night. I was furthest away from calm and collected."
"You had your reasons. Look, you take care of them. And Sasha-" He glanced across the room at the woman who was pacing, bitting on her nails. "Sasha will need you, don't let her lose herself in grief."
"I'm not as good with people as you think, Bob."
"No, you're. You just don't give yourself enough credit."
I bent down and gave him a soft smile on the side of his head. "We'll miss you, Bob." With that last whisper, I stood up, patting his hand one last time.
It took a few more hours before Bob quietly passed away, with Sasha by his side. Rick, Tyreese, and Oscar were digging graves, not just for Bob but also for Terminus people. Something Gabriel insisted on, and even if we disagreed, we could indulge him on it.
The others left, and I felt as everything around was crumbling around us. Glenn was part of my life for over a year, Maggie too, and everything we've been through together just seemed irrelevant now. I understood why they left, but it still hurt. Our goodbye was short, and I hugged each of them tightly, unsure if we will ever see each other again.
I took Merle and Axel out with me into the woods. They both looked at me with furrowed brows when I pushed the bow into Axel's hands and a small backpack that was made into a temporary quiver.
"You're from Texas, right?" I asked him when he just stood there like a deer in the headlights.
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Ever hunted anything?"
"Um, yeah, but that was long time ago, Boss," Axel admitted, weighing the bow in his hands.
"Doll, whatcha doing?" Merle asked me, folding his hands across his chest, cocking one eyebrow at me.
"I hate this thing," I told them and saw a shadow pass over older Dixon's face. "Not just because it's from Daryl, but seriously, I just don't like how it feels."
"And what ya gonna use?"
"I'll make a new one, you know that I can, Hook. Now," I turned my attention back to Axel. "It would be good if we had someone else use quiet, long-distance weapons. I know Merle knows how to, but, well..."
"Yeah, kinda useless skill now, considerin'." Merle waved his metal arm, and I cracked a smile before continuing.
"So we going to show you, it'll take a while to get used to it, but it'll be alright. I'll teach you how to make more arrows."
"Why you really doing it, Boss?" Axel asked me softly, furrowing his brows.
"Because I need to not to think, dammit!" I raised my voice a little and ran a hand over my tangled hair. I breathed a few times heavily before calming my racing heart, not thinking about Daryl droving off...
"Alright," The Texan man nodded once, and he rose the bow, trying the string, checking how it all works.
We didn't speak after that, not about anything but the lesson, just about things involving how to operate the weapon. Axel wasn't bad, but he was really unsure of himself and his skills. He already came far since we met him in prison, learned how to shoot a gun, and survive in this world.
So yeah, he had issues with the aim, but nobody was great from the beginning, and that's what I told him to boost his confidence.
I tried everything possible to keep myself distracted from the thoughts of Daryl and Carol. I played with kids for a bit, double-checked our stock and ammo supply. I was running myself short, hoping that after the watch, I'll be able to just go to sleep straight away, without overthinking things.
After coming back from the woods, I barely spoke to anybody. When Rick came over trying to make me help him forge a plan, I just shrugged and reminded him about three days rule. We wait three days; if they aren't back by then, we will move on. Without any traces or idea where they went, we couldn't follow them. The sheriff looked stunned, and I guess I couldn't blame him. But I felt broken.
The argument I had with Daryl back in prison came back to mind first, when he was so pissed off for driving Carol away that he couldn't even look at me. And even when my mind was telling me that he chose me, that he loved me, my heart felt shredded, not listening. For whatever reason, Daryl made his choice, and I wasn't about to stand in the way of his happiness. That's what I told myself.
But that was hours ago when the sun was still up. Now deep into the night, after eating dinner with others, I left Lucy happily in Merle's arms, both of them sleeping deeply. After that, I came out here, sat down next to Michonne, keeping watch.
Katana had her sword back, figures that one of Terminus assholes had it, but I wasn't sure if she was happy to have it back. The way she stared at it, placed in her lap. I had my sniper with us, bringing it up every now and then, looking into the dark night, making sure that there's nothing out there.
And then fucking priest came out, sitting his ass between us. Michonne placed her sword in the sheath, and the man finally spoke up.
"Can't sleep," He admitted, but neither Michonne nor I said anything for that. "And now, sitting in there... Quiet."
I sighed and moved my eyes to his tired face, for the first time noticing what kind of tool last night took on him. We burdened him with our problems, and he didn't ask for it.
"It isn't just what happened last night," Gabriel continued, staring ahead into the night. "Saying what happened before... out loud... I see it all again."
"You'll," I stated coldly, averting my eyes. "You abandoned those people when they needed you the most. It will be with you forever."
I heard Gabriel gasp and felt them watching me, but I continued. "But it's about what you learn from it. How you're going to atone for your sins. You can stay coward, or you can learn how to be part of this new world and survive."
"I hear them," He sobbed a little, wiping his face with his sleeves.
"Yeah, it won't stop," Michonne spoke quietly, and I hummed. It never stops. "But it won't be all the time."
I wanted to add something else when a rustle in the bushes to our right startled us.
"Get back inside," I told Gabriel in a hushed voice, and he scrambled to his feet, immediately disappearing inside the church.
I followed Katana slowly towards the noise; her sword was ready in front of her to slash at anything that came out. I brought Barrett up, aiming towards the bushes and glancing down through the scope, using night vision to try and see what was out there.
With a fast-beating heart, getting closer to the forest, my muscles were tight while I held on to my weapon. Finally, something leered between the branches, and I breathed in sharply, knowing that Michonne heard that as well. It didn't sound like a walker, but if it wasn't, the alternative was more dangerous. As last night proved, humans are worse than undead.
Eventually, a shape emerged from the woods, pushing at the branches and huffing in annoyance.
Michonne sighed heavily in relief, and I lower my weapon as well but felt my anger and grief rise up, boiling under my skin.
"You're back," Katana said, and Daryl moved forward, stopping at the sight of us, his face softening when his eyes landed on me.
"Where's Carol?" I asked coldly, and his brows knitted together. He still didn't speak, just tilted his head to the side, back towards the forest.
"Come on out," After Daryl's words, there was some more shuffling, and soon skinny Black teenager stood next to him. "Got lot to tell ya."
"Yeah, no shit!" I growled, dropping my gun, letting it fall on my back while I crossed the grass towards my husband.
"El." Daryl stepped forward, opening his arms, but I didn't fell into them as he expected; instead, I swang, shifting my body while I moved, and my fist connected with his scruffy cheek. Daryl huffed in surprise, but except turning his face to the side, he stood straight. He brought his hand towards his face, rubbing at it and moving his jaw around, checking for damage.
I ignored the pain in my fist, the same I used on Red, and stood there with both hands on my hips, staring at Daryl. My lips were pressed in a thin line, and I know I was almost shaking from the anger.
"Um, who's the crazy lady?" The young man asked, and my attention snapped towards him, narrowing my eyes at his words.
"Elena, that's Noah," Daryl finally introduced, and even though I just hit him square in the face, there was a small smirk forming on his lips. "Noah, that's Elena, my wife."
"Ah." The new guy glanced between us, and I couldn't stand it any longer.
"Get inside before we catch the attention of walkers," I told them and spun around, marching towards the building we stayed in. I ignored worried glances from Michonne, but before I had a chance to get any further, a firm grip on my elbow stopped me in my tracks.
Daryl spun me around and pulled me towards him, and even though I was furious, the sheer warmth of his body made me want to forget and just melt against him. The hunter grabbed the back of my neck tightly, and I hissed at that.
"El," The deep baritone of his voice made me shiver, and finally, I let our eyes meet. "I'm sorry."
I blinked rapidly, trying not to show him just how much his disappearance affected me, but it was hard, with his front pressing to me and a thumb running over my cheek.
"I'm incredibly angry with you, Daryl Dixon," I finally told him, and he nodded.
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Princess." After that, he lowered his face and kissed me softly, barely brushing his lips over mine, but it was enough to shake me and my attitude. I whined quietly when he pulled away, and after opening my eyes, I could see him smirking.
"Jerk," I mumbled while he grabbed my hand and intervened our fingers, pulling me after himself towards the church. Daryl chuckled at my words and shook his head.
"Are they always like that?" I heard the young man whisper towards Michonne, making her chuckle.
"You get used to it after a while."
We reached the church, and Daryl pushed the doors, being met with guns pointed in our direction.
"Darlina!" I hear Merle's booming voice, and a few seconds later Daryl was pulled away from me, just to be hugged tightly by his brother. "I oath to kick yur ass, 'lil brother. Ya broke Dollface a little."
I looked down to the ground at his words and moved towards the food, assuming that both Daryl and Noah would be hungry and collect my thoughts. Where the hell is Carol?
"What happened?" Rick asked, and I heard people moving around behind me and some gasps with silence following. "Who the hell is that?"
"That's Noah. He's cool, man," Daryl answered. I scooped squirrel stew Oscar made earlier today onto two plates and grabbed forks, slowly turning around.
"I found Beth. They have Carol now, too," Daryl finally admitted when I reached him and passed him the food. My eyes widened, and my heart sunk. I felt like an utter and complete bitch. I moved to the left and pushed the plate towards the young man. He looked at me with untrusting eyes, but I didn't avoid eye contact.
"Where are they?" Rick asked with a stern voice.
"Grady Memorial, in Atlanta."
"In that hospital?" Oscar was the one to ask, and Daryl hummed, swallowing some of the food. I stood next to him and Merle, feeling as I didn't want to leave his side. And I didn't, fuck knows what will happen next when I lose sight of him again.
"Where's Maggie? I need to tell 'er."
That question was met with silence around the room and some shared glances between us. I put my hand on Daryl's back and pushed him towards the bench.
"Yeah, well, you had your fun; we had ours," I told him stiffly. "You better sit down for that."
In the late hours of the night, I layed down on the floor, in the secluded corner of the church. Daryl's arms were wrapped tightly around me, and I had my face buried in his chest. After exchanging stories, we made a quick plan. Tomorrow morning we would secure the church as best as we could, leave kids here with Katana and Axel while the rest go to Atlanta.
I felt horrible after Daryl explained everything. Here I thought he fucking took off with another woman while he only tried to rescue Beth. I knew he felt responsible for what happened, and he had to do this.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice muffled by his shirt, but I knew he heard me by how his arms pressed me tighter to him.
"Me too," Daryl admitted, his head layed on top of mine, and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck.
"No, Daryl. I understand why you went, but I- I was-" I took a shaky breath and tilted my head to look at him. I could barely see his face in the dark room, but I needed at least to try to look into his eyes. "I thought you left me. With Carol."
Daryl didn't say anything for a long time, but I heard his breathing speed up, and he loosened his grip on me a little. "Ya really think I'd do that to ya?" His voice was flat, and I shook my head immediately.
"I- no. My head knows you wouldn't. But- all the times she flirted with you, all the evening or watches you shared with her... And then Red said something fucking stupid, and my heart stopped listening. All I knew- you were gone with Carol without saying a word after you supposed to only talk to her." I admitted, my voice shaky, and I felt his hand slowly trace my skin, up my arm towards my hair. His fingers tangled in my loose strands and placed a soft kiss on top of my head.
"Ya crazy woman, I'd never do that to ya," His raspy voice was soothing, and I shivered, tears of relief finally breaking through, running down my cheeks.
"Everyone I ever loved left me. My parents, Amelia, Michelle..." I told him quietly, and he pulled me closer to him. I inhaled his scent and gripped the front of his shirt tighter, not wanting to let him go.
"Tell me about 'er," Daryl spoke, but I furrowed my brows at his words.
"You know everything there is about my mom and Amelia."
"Yeah, but ya don't talk 'bout yur friend."
I closed my eyes, thinking back to the days before the dead started walking among us. One of Daryl's hands was still in my hair, while the other rubbed my back in small circles.
"I met Mich when I was delegated to the DC office. She was one of the younger agents in our department," I started smiling fondly at the memory of our first meeting. "I was rushing for a debriefing and got off the elevator just to bump into someone. All her papers and documents scattered to the ground. I automatically apologized and got down to collect them while she yelled at me for being blind and clumsy."
"That ain't like ya," Daryl chuckled a little, and I joined him, caressing his chest through the tough fabric of his shirt.
"Yeah, it was actually her who didn't look where she's going. I just stood up, passed her notes, and told her to get over herself, that she won't achieve a lot by being so hotheaded. Five minutes later, figures, she's on that briefing, glaring daggers at me. Rest is history. We worked together, she was in a different unit, cyber division, but we saw each other often in the office and soon discovered that we actually like each other. We moved together after her boyfriend broke her heart and did so until the turn."
"What happened to her, do ya know?"
I swallowed harshly. I tried not to think about it for such a long time. "I don't. She called me just before I left for Atlanta. There was a breach in DC office, they started to get overrun, and then lines got cut. I have no idea if she managed to escape or-"
My voice trailed off as I tried not to think about it. We all lost people, and I knew for a long time that I won't ever see her again, whether she's alive, dead, or a walker.
"Go to sleep, El. We got long day ahead," Daryl mumbled, and I hummed, relishing in the heat he was radiating.
"Are we ok, Daryl?" I asked him in a small voice, and the hunter pulled away from me a little, kissing me softly.
"Just get ya head straight, woman. I ain't leavin' ya, and there ain't a woman I want except ya."
I nodded at his words and threw my leg over his hip, trying to get closer. "I love you, Big Boy."
"Love ya too. Go to sleep, woman," Daryl growled in my ear, and finally, with a content sigh, I closed my eyes.
Day 496
Being back in Atlanta was bringing back memories. Of that night, when bombs dropped on the city. Of that day when we went to rescue Merle, something I was teasing him about when we saw abandoned buildings.
We left Carl, Judith, and Lucy with Michonne, Axel, and Gabriel. The early morning consisted of chopping down the benches and dismembering the church pipe organ, to board and secure the building. They had enough food to last them a week and were told to lock themselves inside, so no walkers or people would come in.
We took the back roads once we reached the city. Daryl and Noah led us to the tall abandoned building in the close vicinity of the hospital. The young man told us a little about Dawn, a woman that apparently was in charge. He insisted she wasn't a bad person, just trying to get by and ensure others' survival, but she had issues with controlling other cops.
Noah described the layout of the building the best he could and told us a story of how he ended up there in the first place.
Rick was kneeling on the floor, with us around him, while drawing a plan on the dirty floor with a stick.
"At sundown, we fire a shot into the air. Get two of them out on patrol," The sheriff was saying, pointing on the alley where we would ambush the policeman. "Then once it's dark enough, Elena will take down spotter on the rooftop, and we go in."
"I'll need a high point, means I won't be able to go in with you," I told him, tapping my fingers on the hilt of my machete.
"I know," Rick admitted, and I nodded, but deep down, I was not happy with this plan. I should be there, inside, with the rest of them. "We cut the locks on one of the stairways, take it to the fifth floor. I open the door, Daryl takes the guard out."
"How?" Tyreese asked in a rough voice. I could tell by his expression that he disagreed with the course of action.
"He slits his throat," Rick explains emotionlessly, glancing up at the Black man. I know it has to be done, but my eyes landed on Daryl, who shifted his weight at the words. Yes, he was tough and did what had to be done, but he wasn't a cold-blooded murderer.
"This is all about us doing this quiet, keeping the upper hand," Rick continues, his gaze switching between us to make sure we understand. "They're not expecting us. From there, we fan out. Knives and silenced weapons. We need to be fast."
Rick started drawing again. "Tyreese, Sasha, take them. Daryl and Merle, you take care of whoever is in the kitchen. Oscar and I got Dawn. Elena, you'll cover the entrance from the rooftop. Make sure no one comes in or out unless it's us. If they're smart, the rest of them will give up. Then it'll be seven on three. Eight on three once we get a weapon to Beth."
"Twelve on three," Noah interjected. "The wards will help."
"That's best case. What's worst case?" Tyreese asked, glancing between Rick and me. I shrugged and folded my arms over my chest. "All it takes is one of those cops going down the hall at the wrong time. Spotter not responding over the radio. Then it's not quiet. All hands on deck. We're talking about a lot of bullets flying around."
"If that's what it takes," Sasha commented. Ever since Bob passed, she changed. I knew she was grieving, but her anger ran deep. I furrowed my brows, thinking about what Tyreese was saying, my mind quickly analyzing other possibilities.
"It's not," The Black man continued. "If we get a couple of her cops alive out here, we do an even trade. Theirs for ours. Everybody goes home." There was so much hope in Tyreese's voice; he really didn't want bloodshed.
"Would she go for it?" I asked, looking over at Noah. He knitted his brows and shrugged.
"Not sure. You'd take two workers from her. That's part of resources while the cops don't do much."
"But without cops, she ain't have power to get new people," Merle commented.
"No," Rick stated, and my eyes landed on him. "I get it. It might work. But this will work."
"Nah," Daryl interrupted in his gravely voice. "That'll work, too. Merle's right. That Dawn, she's just tryin' to keep it together, right? She needs cops for that."
"Trying and doing are two different things," Noah told us, and I sighed, running my hand over my face.
"Rick, it might work. Worst case scenario? We lure some cops out of the hospital, and there's less inside to deal with. If this doesn't work, we can still pull of going inside," I placed a hand over Rick's shoulder, turning him to face me. "We doing this together, Grimes, remember?"
I wasn't talking just about this mission here, but in general, I wouldn't let him go down the rabbit hole again.
I saw the turmoil on the sheriff's face, but then he nodded slowly, peering into my eyes. "So, how do we do this?"
I grinned and moved towards Noah, patting his back. "First, we need a bait."
"I'm not sure if I like you, lady," The young man grumbled, and I chuckled under my breath.
"She grows on you," Rick commented dryly, and I cocked my brows at him, struggling not to laugh and looking over the newest member of our group. Because that's who Noah was. He ran away from the hospital and tried to help Beth, and then against all the odds, he was ready to take on Daryl and Carol to save a girl he met just a few days prior. He was one of us now.
"I need you to tell me everything you know about that Dawn woman, don't leave anything."
After some more planning, we get to the action, spread between two alleys, hiding behind cars and dumpsters. Noah was one block over, and just minutes ago I heard shots, knowing he was sticking to his part of a plan. Not even seconds after that, I spotted the young man hobbling towards us, with a police car on his tail.
The car sped up, and when Noah was in the middle of the street, it veered sharply, blocking his way, making him smash into the hood, and fell to the ground.
I gripped the Glock tighter and rechecked that the safety was off. Yes, we wanted them alive, but if they did anything to compromise the boy's life, I wouldn't hesitate.
Two people jumped out of the car, a man and a woman, both with handguns in their hands, pointing at Noah.
"Put it down, Noah."
"Put the gun down."
Noah managed to get to his feet and tried to move away, but at the order, he stopped in his step, slouching his shoulders. He faced them and slowly dropped the gun to the ground, raising his hands in surrender.
"Hands up. Turn around," The woman officer ordered, her gun still trained on the young man, while the guy holstered his weapon, taking out a plastic zip-tie from his pocket.
He seemed hesitant, but eventually, he pulled them over Noah's wrist and pulled. "You let me know if it's too tight, okay?"
Then he glanced around, and I made sure to hide back behind the wall to avoid being spotted. My heart was racing while I listened to the voices.
"I thought you were smark, Noah," The woman was saying, and I exchanged glances with Oscar and Merle, who stood ready with their weapons next to me. "You think we wouldn't hear you?"
"Where are those rotters you were shooting at?" The man asked, and just seconds later, I heard Rick and others as they cocked their guns, and I could hear a familiar whistle, our sign. I nodded towards the men by my side, and slowly we got out from our hiding space.
"Hands," The sheriff ordered while the rest of us held two cops in their line of sight on both sides. The officers had their black uniforms on and had their backs turned to us.
"What do you want?"
"Whatever this is, we can help."
"Put your weapons on the ground and kick them away from you," I ordered coldly, noticing how man's shoulders stiffened when he heard me. He glanced briefly at the woman and nodded, lowering his gun and kicking it gently towards Daryl.
"On your knees," I continued watching the woman quickly follow instructions as well, and Sasha and Daryl put down their weapons, presenting our own zip ties to bind their wrists.
"You do what we say, we don't hurt you," Rick said, standing in their line of sight. "We need to talk."
I observed two people in silence, my aim not wavering from the man's head, and his gaze landed on me. His eyes scanned me, and I cocked my brows before lowering the gun, Daryl holding onto the man's shoulder and urging him to stand back up.
"Can I ask you something?" I wasn't sure who the male was talking to, so I just tilted my head expectedly. "The way you carry yourself, both of you. Were you cops?"
I maintained eye contact, not changing my facial expression, but it seemed enough for him. "Believe it or not, so was I."
"That's Lamson," Noah spoke from beside Rick, nodding. "He'll be down for this. He's one of the good ones."
We didn't have time to really think about it or even move from our spots when the tires' screeching echoed near us. Another car rounded the corner, approaching us fast. I ducked to the right, hoping to avoid the collision, rolling few times before I came to a stop and aimed at the car with my Glock.
By then, two officers were getting inside the car, and I swore under my breath. We needed them alive, and they couldn't go back to the hospital. I send a few rounds towards the vehicle as it turned around and started to get away from us. In the end, it was Sasha who got a shot at one of the tires, making the car steer to the side before it disappeared behind the corner.
We ran after them, my breath heavy and raspy, but I came to a halt, just beside Daryl, when Rick stopped. Car was only a few yards in front of us, in the middle of the empty street, with the doors wide open. The sheriff approached it slowly as we walked, glancing around. The stench was horrible, and I quickly realized it came from the rotting corpses on the ground. Walkers, probably people who perished during the bombing, burned down fresh, with some being completely melted to the asphalt. But some were still alive, so to speak, growling, and stretching their hands towards us, their white eyes searching.
"Two. On me," Rick ordered when he noticed two of the cops running away on the other side of the street.
"Merle, Oscar, go that way, cut them off," I instructed the men behind me, and with sharp nods, they took off. I jogged after Daryl and stopped just as he did. Rick and others were already following our escapees, but we saw only two out of three.
A quick swipe near the car revealed nothing, and Daryl motioned towards the half-burned RV which stood near us. Dixon moved silently towards it, our weapons up and eyes scanning the surrounding area. I couldn't hear anything, and when we reached the doors, Daryl tilted his head, indicating for me to open it.
My left hand still in the air, I grabbed the handle and pulled, releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding when it was empty. I sent a smirk towards the hunter, but it was short-lived when someone yanked me back, sending me towards the metal wall of RV.
In the last second, I reached out, trying to cushion the fall, but my head collided with the metal, and I groaned. A sharp pain shot through my skull, and for a few moments, I was dazzled, crumbling to the ground. I saw only black, and when I tried to move, a wave of nausea came over me. I squeezed my eyes shut and took few deep breaths, bringing my hand to the side of my forehead. I could feel sticky liquid under my fingertips, and I knew I probably will have a mild concussion.
Noises from my right pulled me back to reality, and when I opened my eyes, I could faintly see Daryl on the ground with the bold bulky cop over him, trying to strangle him. I scrambled to my feet and swayed a little when everything around me started spinning, but groanes from Dixon pushed me forward.
I was more steady with each step, and when I reached them, I brought my elbow down on the man, between his shoulders. He flinched, and his grip over Daryl loosened. I saw his arm swinging at me, and I moved to the left, bringing my knee to his side just as he was standing up.
Rage rolled over me, and when the man swung his arm at me again, I grabbed it, spinning around and under it, suddenly standing behind him. I twisted his hand and used all my strength to push into him, so he fell to the ground.
With one knee over his elbow and the other on his neck, I held tightly to his other wrist. I was heaving at this point, my lungs hurt from exercise, and I could feel a trickle of blood dripping on the side of my face.
The cop tried to get out of my grip, and I pushed the knee further on him, putting more pressure on his trachea, growling lowly at him.
"El," Daryl's voice was more ruff than usual, but that's what happens when someone tries to strangle you. I clenched my jaw and raised my eyes a little. Daryl and Rick were standing over us, both panting and sweaty but alive.
"Zip tie," I said, calming down with each passed second but not loosening my grip.
"You win, bitch," The cop wheezed when I ruffly pulled him up and zipped his wrists together behind his back.
"No. I'd win if I'd kill you, dick," I whispered in his ear, making him freeze in his movements and glance nervously towards Rick and Daryl.
"Elena," Rick said my name in a disapproving manner, obviously hearing what I said. I shrugged and stood up while both men grabbed the cop ruffly.
"I know we need him, don't worry."
"Ya alright?" Daryl asked, his eyes scanning over me, and I nodded. I was tired, probably sporting a concussion, but I was alive.
Once we caught up with others, I saw that the remaining cops were also comprehended, and Merle took Daryl's place, with younger Dixon moving to my side. He stopped us for a moment, and I whined a little when his fingers brushed loose locks from my forehead, pulling at the wound.
"Ya'll need stitches," He commented grimly, clenching his jaw, and I hummed in response. Taking his hand in mine, I pulled him with me, going back into our temporary base.