Just a reminder that I will be going off cannon and this chapter will definitely show how. Hope you enjoy!
Daryl raised his head out from under the hood of the RV to see Denise making her way towards him with a shy wave.
"Here."
Looking down at the food she held out for him with scrutiny, he turned his nose up at the sight and refused to take it.
"Homemade oat cake. It's full of complex carbohydrates, omega-3s."
The fancy words he didn't understand did nothing to entice him and he turned his attention back to the engine he was tinkering with.
"Nah, I'm good. I'll find somethin' on the way. Give it to Rhiannon."
"Give me what?" Rhiannon asked as she approached the RV, only hearing Daryl's last couple of words.
"Breakfast." Denise smiled warmly and handed the food over.
Rhiannon looked down at the package, trying her best to school her expression and not scrunch her nose in disgust. It didn't look appetizing in the slightest.
"Thanks." She smiled, making sure to sound grateful and not give away what she was actually feeling about the monstrosity in her hands.
Waiting until Denise made her exit and she was sure the kind doctor wouldn't hear, Rhiannon furrowed her brows, her face twisting with confusion.
"The hell is this?"
"Dunno, but it looks like shit."
"Then why'd you tell her to give it to me?"
"So I didn't have to eat it." Daryl shrugged, a small smirk gracing his lips. "Why'd you take it if you didn't want it?"
"Cause that'd be rude. I don't wanna hurt her feelings, this was really sweet of her."
"Ok, so eat the damn thing, see how sweet it is."
Rhiannon just glared back at her husband and rolled her eyes, but was unable to help the small, amused smile growing on her lips.
"So, is this hunk'a junk running?"
"As best as it can. Everyone ready to leave?"
"Think so."
Daryl looked over as most of the family began to make their way onto the RV and his eyes narrowed in confusion slightly when he saw Rob making his way on. He liked Rhiannon's friend relatively well, more than he thought he would, but he hadn't seen him out on many runs before and the idea of him coming on this one, which was pretty huge, had him a little unsettled.
"Rob's comin'?"
"Oh yeah. He's got the hots for our prisoner. If it turns out this Jesus guy is legit, he's definitely gonna make a move on him."
Daryl looked confused for a moment before a brief expression of annoyance flashed across his face. If Rob and Jesus hit it off, no doubt he'd be forced to interact with that asshole on the regular. It wouldn't have been such a disdainful thought for him if it wasn't for the truck full of supplies at the bottom of that damn lake.
Daryl would never forgive the bastard for that.
"There ain't anyone else for him to go after?" He mumbled.
"You see any other attractive gay men walking around here?"
Daryl snapped his head over to look at Rhiannon and raised a brow. "You think he's attractive?"
"Oh my god, shut up." Rhiannon groaned overdramatically, making him chuckle. With a playful push to his shoulder, she smiled at him and made her way past him to get on the vehicle.
She stopped when she saw Merle back at the house, sitting on the porch steps, passively watching others pass by to get on the RV. Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she changed her course and stepped towards him.
"Hey, what are you doing out here, aren't you coming?"
"Nah, I'm gonna stick 'round here, make sure things don't turn to shit with y'all gone." He answered non-committedly, but Rhiannon saw through it. She knew him better than he knew she did.
"Let me guess, Julia's staying, too?"
A brief flash of panic flew across his expression before it quickly turned into a harsh glare.
"Shut the fuck up, Greene."
Rhiannon faked an expression of shocked horror, placing her hand over her heart dramatically. "How dare you, I'm an official Dixon now, brother."
Merle rolled his eyes, though the amused smirk on his face was enough of an indication that he didn't truly hate her like any bystander would think he did.
"So you're gonna be annoyin' the shit outta me for the rest of your life?"
"Rest of your life. There's no way in hell you're outliving me."
"Yeah, we'll see about that, Dixon." He stressed the name, making her smile widely.
"But seriously, for what it's worth, I think you and Julia would be cute together." She told him honestly and he bowed his head slightly, trying to hide his cheeks that burned.
"Don't know what the hell you're talkin' about."
"Yeah, yeah." Rhiannon waved him off. "But if you even think of screwing her over, there's gonna be hell to pay. She's a sweet girl and she doesn't need any bullshit in her life, not after everything she's been through." She warned him sternly.
"I ain't gonna be an asshole."
Rhiannon looked at him plainly, not believing he was capable of not being an asshole for even five minutes.
Merle sighed and ran his hand over his head. "I ain't… she's… different. It won't be just a hookup."
Pure surprise was etched on her face, but she couldn't deny, she would give money to see Merle's attempt at being romantic. From the comments he made to her and Daryl when they were being just the littlest bit affectionate, she found it hard to believe he even knew how.
"I'm serious. She's… special." He admitted quietly, fully avoiding eye contact bashfully. He felt embarrassed by the words that came out of her mouth, they felt so foreign and unlike him.
"Well, good luck. I'm rooting for you two." She told him with a smile. Sensing his embarrassment for what he thought was oversharing, she began to make her way to the RV, but turned on her heel after a few paces. "Just make sure you don't fuck it up." She called back to him and laughed when he threw up his middle finger to her.
Finally making her way onto the RV, she sighed heavily, forcing herself to think on the pressing matter at hand again.
Smiling to Glenn and Maggie who were already seated comfortably, she sat across from them, eyeing them softly as they cuddled into each other, Glenn's hand over her stomach, firmly protecting their unborn child.
A wicked smile grew when she suddenly realized how to rid herself of the horribly disgusting looking breakfast that was given to her.
"Maggie, have you eaten yet?"
"No, I figured we'd find something on the way."
"Here. It's healthy, it'd be good for the baby." Rhiannon smiled innocently as she handed over the food Denise had given her.
Maggie took it with trepidation, staring down at it with barely contained disgust.
"Where'd you get this?"
"Denise." Rhiannon answered simply.
Maggie just sighed. She figured what her big sister was up to, but she was too tired to call her out. Plus, if Denise was handing it out, it probably meant it certainly was healthy and she was willing to eat whatever she needed, disgusting looking or not, for her baby.
"How are you feeling?" Rhiannon asked, any joking tone gone from her voice as she looked at her sister more seriously.
"Morning sickness is no joke." Maggie mumbled, holding back a look of disgust as she took small bites from the oat cake that tasted a lot like sawdust, but she was thankfully, able to keep it down.
"It'll be worth it." Glenn told her softly and despite her churning stomach, Maggie smiled happily, leaning in closer to her husband.
Rhiannon averted her eyes from the affectionate couple, suddenly feeling as if she was intruding on their moment.
Noticing Rob beside her who was sitting across from Jesus and the appraising looks he gave the man that he made no effort to disguise, made her roll her eyes playfully and nudged him lightly, startling him out of his daze.
"You could at least pretend you weren't planning on fucking him." She whispered and he just shrugged in response.
"Impossible."
"How are you so sure he'll be into you too?"
Rob just snickered, like her question was the dumbest thing he'd heard all day. "It'll happen, it's just a matter of when."
"You're ridiculous." Rhiannon laughed, forgetting just how cocky her friend could be when it came to attraction. She remembered a few particularly hilarious evenings back in New York because of it.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road." Abraham's booming voice sounded as the rest of the family boarded the vehicle.
With a lingering sense of dread at the possibility that this entire trip was a ruse, the mood turned serious and they were off with high tensions.
"Where's Merle? He ain't comin'?" Daryl asked her and Rhiannon bit back her wide smile.
"He wanted to stay with his girlfriend." She teased, but Daryl just stared down at her, his face twisted with confusion. "Julia." She supplemented, sensing he didn't get what she was trying to joke about.
Daryl's face only became more confused and he leaned back, looking down at her in disbelief.
"Merle ain't into Julia."
Rhiannon laughed and shook her head. "Just give it time." She mumbled as she leaned heavily on him.
He moved past his disbelief and wrapped his arm over her shoulders, feeling more relaxed with her at his side. He began to gently run his hand through her hair, making Rhiannon hum in contentment softly and let her heavy eyes fall closed for a moment. The drama the night before hadn't allowed any of them to get much rest and it was quickly catching up to her.
"Why don't you try to get some sleep? It's probably gonna be a long day." Daryl leaned in to whisper to her.
Rhiannon lazily opened her eyes, her gaze finding the stranger across from them warily. She doubted he'd do anything to hurt them, but that didn't mean she trusted him, definitely not enough to let her guard down around him.
"I'm right here." He promised, sensing where her hesitation was coming from. He tightened his grip on her and felt his insides twist pleasurably as he watched her sink into his side, allowing herself to fully relax in his embrace.
It barely took a minute until Rhiannon was sleeping soundly against Daryl. And it took barely ten minutes into the drive for things to go wrong.
She was jostled out of her sleep, which had only felt like seconds, as Daryl sat up, his body tensing as the RV slowed to an almost stop.
"What the fuck?" She groaned tiredly, rubbing her eyes and suppressing a yawn.
"Rick, the hell's goin' on?" Daryl called out, his voice rigid with worry.
"There's a crash up ahead. Looks like it just happened."
They all got to their feet, looking out the window with trepidation, when suddenly, Jesus' face paled.
"It's one of ours."
He pushed past the others and was out the door before the RV even came to a stop. Everyone was quick to follow him. They didn't trust him and this had all the makings of a trap. Daryl was the first off the vehicle, his cold scowl locked onto the new man with distrust.
Rick was next, quickly pulling the gun from his waistband and pointing it at the man who didn't even notice. His horrified gaze was locked onto the bloody scene and the newly reanimated walkers.
Despite her hesitation of Jesus, Rhiannon took a small step towards him, gauging his expression. It was clear he was distressed. It was clear he truly did know these people and their gruesome end was shaking him deeply.
"Rick, I think-" She started softly, but stopped abruptly as Rick pointed his gun at the back of Jesus' head.
"If this is a trick, it won't end well for you." He threatened darkly.
"My people are in trouble. We don't have a lot of fighters." Jesus stated weakly, slowly raising his hands to show he meant no harm to them. "I know how it looks, but I'll play it out. Can I borrow a gun?"
Daryl scoffed and shook his head. "No." He shot him down immediately. "We got tracks over here." He pointed, motioning for Rick to follow.
The group slowly followed the faint footprints to the small shop on the corner of the street. Taking the initiative, Rick steps up the few stairs and banged his fist against the door, waiting for any sign of walkers… or the impending trap he was expecting.
"They gotta be in there." Jesus spoke up, almost pleading for them to help his people.
"We movin' in or what?" Abraham asked, eyeing Rick curiously, needing an answer from their leader rather than the new stranger they couldn't trust.
"We can help them, earn their trust and make this whole shit show easier." Rob suggested. He didn't want people thinking he was doing this for Jesus and because he found him attractive. He'd always been the person who advocated for those who needed help in the end of the world.
Even when Aaron and Eric had to turn people away, it didn't sit well with him, even when they were dangerous. His ability to try to find the best in people was either one of his strengths or weaknesses. He still hadn't decided.
"And if this is a trap and they turn on us?" Rick suggested bitterly, unable to not think of that as an option.
"Then we deal with it."
Rick sighed in resignation. "We'll get your people. But you're stayin' here with one of us." He told Jesus sternly, leaving no room for argument.
"I'll stay with him." Rhiannon offered and refused to acknowledge Daryl's piercing gaze that immediately turned to her.
"I'll stay too." Maggie spoke up, wanting to stay by her sister's side.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, we can handle it." She assured Rick, finally turning to Daryl, giving him a warning look to not question her abilities to simply watch a man.
As the rest of the group got into place to storm the building, Daryl stepped towards her, looking down at her thoughtfully.
"You sure you wanna do this?"
"I'll be fine. He seems harmless." She whispered to him.
He tensed slightly, remembering how that asshole had used those fancy moves to kick his and Rick's asses. He let out a long breath, knowing it would be useless to try and deter Rhiannon, and he nodded slowly. Taking a moment to briefly look around and make sure no one's attention was on them and leaned down, kissing her forehead softly.
"Keep your guard up." He whispered in warning and she smiled lightly at his protective need to fuss over her.
"You're the one with the more dangerous job." She reminded him with a roll of her eyes.
"Don't mean I can't worry 'bout my wife."
Blushing at the word that still made her feel giddy, she figured it would never stop, she nudged him lightly, her smile still plastered on her face.
"Go." She urged and he smirked lightly before looking back at the others and following them to the unfamiliar building, his face turning completely serious.
"You hear me whistle, shoot him." Rick ordered darkly, sombering both sisters instantly.
Maggie looked over at her older sister with slight worry, but there was a determination in her eyes. Just months ago, she'd give Jesus the benefit of the doubt but now that she was pregnant, she wasn't taking any chances. If this man proved to be any kind of threat against them, against her husband or her child, she was going to take care of it.
"I will." Maggie looked to Rick in agreement with a fire in her eyes no one was surprised to see.
As the others began to strategically make their way into the building, Daryl paused before entering, sparing one last untrusting scowl to Jesus and one last nod of encouragement to Rhiannon, who he hoped knew that he would be dropping everything if she called to him in danger.
Watching them go, Rhiannon let out a deep breath, her nerves on edge at being in such close proximity without much protection, especially with only her sister who was pregnant. She eyed Jesus intently, noting how he tapped his foot anxiously, how he worried his lip between his teeth, his eyes flitting around every inch of the building in front of him with barely contained nervousness.
It was clear he was worried about his people. That alone made Rhiannon relax, just the slightest.
Taking a small step towards the nervous man, Maggie tensed and instantly reached out, latching onto her sister's hand to stop her, giving her a wide eyed, warning look.
Rhiannon mouthed 'it's fine' and shook off her grip. She was more interested in getting to know this stranger that talked about changing their lives.
"You really care about your people." Rhiannon spoke up, assessing the man's behaviour correctly. Jesus nodded and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He understood why Rick was doing what he was doing, but he couldn't deny that it was raising his stress level.
"My community has been through a lot. I've lost a lot of friends recently." He said sadly, keeping his eyes averted downwards.
"We know what that feels like… and that's why we're as guarded as we are."
"I understand. Honestly, if roles were reversed, I'd be as hesitant as you guys are being. Trust me, I don't fault you for this."
Rhiannon bit her lip, her mind racing in deep thought. She stepped closer to Jesus, not noticing how Maggie tensed, her grip tightening on her gun in worry.
"Your community, you're absolutely sure they're willing to meet new people, willing to trade?" She asked with scrutiny.
"I'm sure. We're getting desperate. It feels like Alexandria is our only hope. We need you and the strength your people offer."
"Good, cause you know what we would do if they weren't." Rhiannon warned. She figured Jesus and his people were genuine, but she cared about her own more. She needed to be absolutely sure.
"Yeah, I know. And I wouldn't be taking the risk unless it was worth it."
Their conversation was cut short as the rest of them walked out of the building with new people at their side. The sisters tensed at the same time, but seeing them all, especially Rick, walking out without their weapons pointed at the new people, had their anxieties lowering instantly.
"Is everything ok?" Rhiannon asked and Rick nodded.
"We're good. Let's get back on the road."
His order was enough for the rest of them to trust the new people. They knew Rick had his reservations, but if he trusted these new people, enough at least to let them in the RV and not kill them instantly, then so did the rest of them.
Rhiannon approached Daryl instantly, her hand raising to rest against his arm, making him look down at her.
"You ok?"
He nodded and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead, reassuring her that everything was ok, that these new people were no threat to them.
"What happens now?" Rhiannon whispered and Daryl, sparing a hesitant look at the newcomers, clenched his jaw.
"We hear them out. They seem fine and despite whatever we think 'bout them, I think we gotta hear them out."
"So this place is legit?"
"Seems like it." Daryl shrugged, though it was obvious he was trying to hide just how on edge he was about the prospect of meeting new people, let alone an entire new community.
Getting back on the RV, she tensed as she noticed Maggie making her way to the back with most of the new people, but with the quickest of looks, Maggie assured her that she was ok and Rhiannon knew she couldn't refuse the role her sister was taking.
Taking her seat, she eyed the unfamiliar man who sat across from her with scrutiny. She couldn't deny the unease within her at the fear and sightlessness in the man's eyes.
Jesus noticed the state of his friend from his community and sat next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you ok, Freddie?" He asked carefully, but the man just stared forward blankly, worrying them all.
"For a second back there, just when I thought he was gonna…." He looked to Abraham pointedly, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I saw my wife. She died before all this."
Rhiannon swallowed thickly and looked to the man next to her who was looking out the window tersely, his face pulled into a dark expression.
For as long as she'd known him. Abraham was a charismatic, enigmatic figure who was always the life of the party. To see him crumble was out of the ordinary and she shifted closer to him, eyeing him carefully. The furrow of his brows was definitely new and she nudged him slightly, gaining his attention.
"What's up with you? What happened back there?" She whispered to the sulking redhead beside her.
"I'm fine, Half-pint. Nothin' to worry about." He shrugged her off, but she only narrowed her gaze on him.
"Are you sure?"
"You know you'd be the first person I'd come to with any crisis. After all the shit you've been through, you're about the only person I trust to handle my shit."
Rhiannon got the feeling the compliment was only to distract her from what he was going through and she eyed him sternly.
"So you'd come to me if there was any shit to talk about?" She interrogated and he just shrugged.
"You'd be the first to know." He brushed off the current situation and Rhiannon had to admit, he was a good actor.
But she knew, as much as she figured something was going on with him, he would tell her on his own time, but as it was, they had much bigger things to worry about.
The drive didn't last much longer before the RV came to a standstill, Rick cursing at the wheel as he revved the engine that refused to move.
"Dammit. A storm must've passed through. We're stuck."
"No worries, we're here." Jesus announced with a small smile, making every stand at attention worriedly, the prospect of coming face to face with another community putting them on edge. He opened the door and stepped out, taking in a deep breath. He swiftly turned around and motioned for the others to follow.
Rick was first, taking in a suspecting look around before finally trusting his instincts and stepping out, allowing the rest of them to follow.
They all filtered out slowly, taking in their new surroundings with calculating gazes. Rhiannon stared at the walls before her intently and promptly grimaced as her foot stomped into the mud below her she had failed to notice.
Daryl grabbed her hand and helped her to the grass beside the muddy path, giving her a small smile.
"This is it. That's the Hilltop."
As they began to walk towards the strange community, he kept his hand in hers. He wasn't one to show affection in front of others, especially the incoming strangers they'd soon be faced with, but with both of their nerves so high, he didn't seem to care.
The group walked in silence, tensions running deep amongst them all, until a voice called out to them.
"Stop right there!"
Daryl's hand dropped from hers and in a flash, he and everyone else had their guns raised at the men guarding the front gates.
"You gonna make us?" Daryl snapped at them threateningly.
"Jesus, what the hell is this?" One of the men on guard yelled down angrily.
"Open the gates, Cal. Freddie's hurt." He responded calmly before turning to their group apologetically. "I'm sorry about these guys. They get antsy standing up there all day doing nothing."
"They give up their weapons and then we'll open the gates." They ordered.
"Why don't you come down here and get 'em." Daryl snarled. Rhiannon looked over at him worriedly, knowing when he got into this kind of mood, it was hard to get him to climb back down to any resemblance of peacefulness.
"Guys, come on." The doctor they'd rescued, Harlan, stepped forward. "Look, we vouch for these people. They saved us out there."
His impassioned words did nothing to deter the guards and Rick stepped forward in annoyance.
"Look, I'm not takin' any chances. Tell your guy Gregory to come out here."
"No. Don't you see what just happened? I'm letting you keep your guns." Jesus told him straightly. "Look, we ran out of ammo months ago. I like you people, I trust you. It's time you trust us."
Rick contemplated for a few, silent seconds that seemed to have everyone holding their breath. He sighed and nodded slightly. Jesus smiled lightly and turned back to the guards.
"Open the gates, Cal." He spoke strongly, leaving no room for any arguments.
Stepping towards Daryl, who still had his gun raised threateningly to the guards, Rhiannon gently placed her hand on his arm that was rigid with the readiness to fight.
"It's ok. We're ok." She whispered to him, her soft voice breaking through to him and he finally lowered his weapon, though his body stayed tense, ready for anything. He wasn't taking any chances.
The gates creaked open slowly and soon, everyone was staring in awe at the community before them. Their eyes travelled over every inch before them as they stepped past the gates. Rhiannon's eyes were full of wonder as she took in the crops that stood high, the stables that stood strongly, and the trailers that were crawling with people who worked together in harmony.
A small smile grew on her face as all cynicism left her like an exhaled breath. This place was real, more than that, this place was skilled.
She listened intently as Jesus explained the community, how they built it, how they maintained it, and she had to admit, she was impressed.
As he brought them into the giant Barrington house, they all looked around in slight shock. They thought the houses in Alexandria had been luxurious, but this place blew it out of the water.
"Whoa." Rhiannon muttered, slightly in awe.
"Most of the rooms have been converted to living spaces. Even the spaces that weren't bedrooms."
Rhiannon perked up slightly. She and Daryl still needed that honeymoon. She wouldn't mind spending it in one of those fancy rooms she'd never be able to afford to stay in back in the real world.
"People live here and in the trailers?"
Jesus nodded. "We plan to build. There's babies being born."
Like a reflex, Daryl and Rhiannon's gazes met each other from across the room, their longing expressions matching each other. Daryl quickly looked down, not able to think about that, not here.
The floor to ceiling door beside them opened abruptly and they all tensed, intently eyeing the man who stepped out. His trimmed beard and pristine suit he wore was enough to have Rhiannon eyeing him more carefully, already getting the feeling he was a pompous asshole she wouldn't get along with.
He didn't even look like he was living in the end of the world.
"Jesus, you're back," He smiled, though it came off as more smarmy than a warm welcome. The untrusting feeling the man gave off only heightened as he eyed them with barely disguised disdain. "... with guests."
"Everyone, this is Gregory."
"I'm the boss." He interjected with a smug smile.
Rhiannon looked over at Rob beside her, the both of them looking just as unamused as the other.
"I'm Rick. We have a community-"
"Why don't you all go get cleaned up, hmm?" Gregory interrupted.
Rick's face steeled, trying hard not to show his anger. "We're fine."
"Jesus will show you where you can get washed up. Then come back down here when you're ready." He smiled, ignoring Rick's words and the many annoyed expressions that stared back at him. "It's hard to keep this place clean."
"Yeah. Sure." Rick's clipped voice spoke with the weakest fake smile plastered on his face Rhiannon had ever seen.
Jesus closed his eyes briefly, as if to gain his composure, and he gave an embarrassed smile. "Follow me."
Rhiannon got the feeling this was Gregory's usual behaviour and she suddenly felt all the sympathy in the world for him to have dealt with that asshole for so long.
As they made their way up the stairs, they were all feeling the same hatred for the man downstairs.
"Well… he seems pleasant." Michonne said sarcastically and Rhiannon huffed out a laugh.
"I don't think I've ever hated someone so quickly." Rhiannon said and then leaned over to Rick. "I would give you my first born to see you punch that prick in the face."
Rick snickered and shook his head. "Think I'd rather see you punch him."
Rhiannon's face brightened and she smiled mischievously. "That's not a bad idea."
"Rhi, stop." Maggie scolded, though the amused smile on her face betrayed just how much she really would love to see it.
"Maggie, you clean up first. I think you should talk to him." Rick said, suddenly breaking the joking atmosphere.
"Why?"
"I shouldn't, unless I wanna get Rhi's first born." He joked, knowing he would definitely pummel that man if he spent any more time with him. "And you gotta start doin' these things."
Maggie's eyes widened and she suddenly looked anxious, wringing her hands together as she stepped into the bathroom to clean up with a heavy sigh.
Watching her sister thoughtfully, Rhiannon followed her closely and shut the door behind them to give them some much needed privacy.
"You ok?" She asked, sitting herself up on the counter beside the sink Maggie was using to wash her face.
"Rick's insane, right?"
"What?"
"Letting me take the reins? I mean, he's definitely lost it." Her nervous and frenzied voice made Rhiannon smile sadly.
"Maggie, Rick knows exactly what he's doing. And if it was down to everyone else, they'd agree. You're the right person to do this."
"How? I'm not a leader, I've never been in charge of this kind of stuff before."
"You worked pretty closely with Deanna."
"For like two weeks." Maggie countered, disbelieving of her abilities. "Negotiating with another community? This is so far out of my pay grade."
Hopping off the counter, Rhiannon stood in front of her sister and placed her hands on her shoulders, forcing her frantic gaze to meet her own.
"Maggie, you can do this. We all know you can. You're smart and you're calm but you're fierce. We all trust you to do this."
A loud breath left Maggie, uncertainty lingering in her expression, despite how touched she felt by her sister's words.
"Remember what Dad always used to say? We all got jobs to do, and this is yours."
Maggie's expression softened completely, the reminder of her father both saddening and uplifting her all at once in an amalgamation of strange emotions to feel simultaneously.
She nodded softly, a look of determination on her face as she stared at herself in the mirror, as if to hype herself up. There was still doubt in her gaze, underlying insecurities that lingered, but she knew she had to move past them, for her family.
"Look, Gregory is an asshole, it took us two seconds to realize that. He looks at us like we're beneath him and he's gonna try to screw us over, but I know you won't let that happen." Rhiannon told her straightly.
Maggie snickered slightly, though her expression changed, seeming more incensed to get this job done, if only to knock Gregory down a peg or two. Rage was certainly an amazing motivator.
She knew she needed to do this.
"I got this."
"You got this." Rhiannon echoed her words encouragingly, placing her hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Now give him hell."
Maggie smiled down at her sister gratefully and pulled her into a crushing hug. "Thank you."
"Always." Rhiannon whispered back to her softly, holding her tightly.
Maggie pulled away and with a heavy breath to prepare herself, she opened the door and left the bathroom. Rhiannon followed her down the stairs to Gregory's office, her hand held tightly in hers for the last bit of comfort she could give to soothe her nerves.
Approaching the open door, Maggie breathed deeply, looking over her shoulder at Rhiannon and giving her a firm nod before entering his office.
Once the door closed behind her, Rhiannon let loose a long exhale, feeling both proud of and nervous for her sister. It wasn't hard to see that Gregory was a snake and her protective instincts were kicking in. Despite having all the confidence in her younger sister, she couldn't help the want to keep her far away from awful men like him.
Biting her lip and tapping her foot nervously, Rhiannon looked around the room, noticing the others milling about. Her eyes fell to Daryl who was looking out the window to keep a vigilant eye on the unfamiliar community.
She approached him slowly, taking note of the rigidity of his body. She knew he felt uncomfortable here.
"Hey, you ok?" She asked softly, not wanting to startle him.
He nodded, an uncommitted grunt following that she figured meant 'yes', as he continued to stare out the window.
Sighing, Rhiannon slipped her hand in his and held tightly, finally making him look down at her, as if broken from his tense trance.
"'M fine." He said tersely, suddenly averting his gaze to avoid his wife's unconvinced stare. "Just don't trust these people."
"They don't trust us either. Kinda puts us on an even playing field, right?"
Daryl just continued to stare out the window, not allowing her words to make him feel relaxed in the slightest.
"Don't think that asshole's gonna give in. He don't wanna trade."
"But Jesus does and I'm willing to bet the rest of the community does. Gregory strikes me as leaning toward the dictator side. What he wants isn't what the people want." She countered his cynicism.
Daryl just shrugged, not convinced. Every bad thought he had about this place was rearing its ugly head and he found himself struggling to find the bright side, as always.
Rhiannon sighed in resignation, leaning against the window sill beside him, knowing she wasn't going to make him feel any better.
It was only a few minutes later that Maggie emerged from Gergory's office, her face drawn tightly with barely contained rage.
They all stood and made their way towards her.
"I'm guessing it didn't go well?" Glenn asked, noting his wife's expression, one he made sure to never be the one to put on her face.
"He doesn't want to trade." She said simply, bitterness seeped in every word.
Jesus let out a defeated sigh, though he didn't seem very surprised. "I can try to talk to him, try to reason with him."
"You sure that's gonna help?"
Sensing that he was losing them, losing their trust, Jesus ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Ammo isn't something we need right now. These walls hold, it's not a priority." He explained and straightened his shoulders when he saw the annoyed look on Rick's face. "Just give me a few more days. I can talk to him, make him see reason."
Before any of them could make their argument against Gregory, the door to the Barrington house opened and a fearful looking, wide eyed man stepped in. They all got to their feet anxiously. The commotion caused Gregroy to open his door and he eyed the man curiously.
"What's wrong?"
"They're back."
The vague words put all of them on edge and with a shared look of distrust, they followed Jesus and Gregroy out to the gates, only mere steps behind.
"Did you find them?" Gregory called out to the newcomers walking through the gates.
Rhiannon could tell instantly that they didn't come with good news. Their expressions were grim, the only woman in the group looked horrified. She had a look in her eyes that signalled she had seen something she hadn't wanted to ever see.
"Yeah, we found them." One of the men answered, his voice thick with barely contained emotion.
"Ethan?" Jesus prompted sadly.
"Gone." Was the simple answer given. "We found him and Elaine… they were dead. Whoever did this… they let them turn and…" The man paused, taking a moment to gain his composure. "They were strung up… paraded like trophies."
Rhiannon's eyes widened and her head snapped to look over at the rest of her family. Michonne was looking back at her with horrified eyes. Rick's face was tense as he took in the new information and Daryl just clenched his jaw in anger at the reminder of the group who kept evading them.
"Hold on, where did this happen?" Glenn piped up, his eyes flaring with realization and determination. The knowledge that another group was experiencing what they had seen was the only lead they'd had in weeks.
"What?" The man sneered in anger, taking a threatening step towards Glenn. "You working for those psychos? Who the hell are these people?" He fired off questions rapidly, looking to Gregroy and Jesus, desperate for answers.
Jesus stepped forward immediately, placing his hands on the man's chest to keep him from moving any closer and calming him down. Rick held his hands up and took a step forward, putting on his serious expression that spoke for no nonsense.
"My group and I, we've come across walkers strung up. A while back Daryl and Abraham here had a run in with those men, they got shot at. Now, let me guess, you're people have been missin' for a while." Rick said to the unfamiliar group.
They looked back at him with untrusting gazes, though their expressions gave away everything they needed to know.
"How did you know?"
"We have a woman in our group that's had a run in with them. She was captured by them and she managed to escape. From what she'd told us, they're not one to be taken lightly."
"We've been searching for signs of them near our community for a few weeks now, but we haven't found anything." Michonne added.
The group looked to Jesus and Gregory, as if to confirm that they were telling the truth, that they could be trusted. Jesus just nodded in assurance.
"Do you know who these people are?" Rick asked, turning to Jesus for answers, but he shook his head.
"We just call them The Hunters." He said darkly. "It started a few months ago, our run teams started going missing and after about a week, we'd find them hanging… as walkers."
"Did you find them in the closest town?"
"Sometimes. We've found them as far as Annandale. It seems like every time we go to scout a new town, they're there, waiting for us. Like we've walked right into their trap. We're losing places to get food and supplies from."
The rest of them shared horrified looks. They had no idea the enemy's perimeter was that large. It certainly didn't bode well for them.
"How many people have you lost to them?" Rhiannon asked and a sorrowful look flashed across Jesus' face.
"12. And that's only in the last three months." He explained sadly. "People are terrified to go past those gates.
"That's why you were so scared when we found that car crash. You thought it was The Hunters." Rob explained, not even needing to question his behaviour.
Remembering that Jesus had said the Hilltop doesn't have a lot of fighters, Rick perked up slightly, a plan beginning to form in his head. He knew how they could convince Gregory of a trade.
"So we've come across the same assholes. You're losin' people and we're lookin' to end the fight with our community before it starts." He surmised simply, giving Jesus a knowing look.
He knew where this was going.
"If we help you, if we look for these Hunters, and help you guys take 'em down, will you hook us up?" Daryl asked, spitting out the enemy's name like it was vinegar in his mouth. "We want food, medicine, and one of them cows."
Rhiannon held back a smile as she watched her husband take charge. It sent a lust within her she wasn't expecting to feel in that moment.
Jesus, Gregory, the new members, and the others in the community that lingered close to hear the conversation, all stared at them curiously.
Sensing their hesitation and where it was coming from, Rick smirked lightly. "Confrontation's never been somethin' we've had trouble with."
Gregory scoffed. "So what? We give you all of our food for nothing in return?"
"It's a trade." Maggie piped up, looking to Gregory sternly.
"For what?"
"Us." Rick stated simply.
"What makes you think you can do what we haven't done?" Gregory challenged with a smug smile.
"We've handled people like these Hunters before."
"How?"
"They're dead." Maggie told him simply. "We can help keep your community safe. We can get rid of your enemy," Before they become our enemy. "If you give us half of your supplies."
Gregory clenched his jaw, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed all of them with contempt. They could tell he wanted to refuse, that he wanted so badly to shoot them down, but with all of his own people watching him carefully, terrified by the news of two more deaths, but hopeful for what this new group could offer, he knew he had to play this carefully.
"We can stop this. If you don't agree, more of your people are goin' to die. The Hunters aren't goin' to stop until you have nothin' left. What happens then? Without ammo, without fighters, you'd be a dead man." Maggie's steady voice spoke to him sternly. "So we're takin' half of what you have right now, or the deal's off."
The prideful looks that were thrown in her direction made her stand taller, her shoulders straighter and her expression harder as she felt more sure of herself than ever before.
"Fine. I'll get you supplies." Gregory practically spat out, clearly unhappy with the turn of events. It made him feel weak to give in to them, to be shown up by something they had been failing at. "Jesus, I take it you can handle the rest?" He asked and before the man could even answer, Gregory was already making his way back into the mansion to lock himself in his office.
With a triumphant smile, Jesus turned to them. "Well, I guess we have a deal."
Some of the locals approached Maggie, wanting to know more about the deal that had just been struck, wanting to know about their group and what they knew about the ones terrorizing them. Rhiannon smiled at the sight, feeling giddy for her little sister.
She was so proud of her.
The community quickly gathered the food and medicine for them to take, eager to make the trade if it meant their impending safety from the ones they were terrified of. As Rhiannon picked up the basket of fresh vegetables, she noticed a pair of women standing across from her, both with excited smiles on their faces.
"Thank you for doing this."
"Thank you for this." Rhiannon stressed, holding up the food. "You guys are really helping us out."
"It's the least we could do. We're just glad something's finally being done about this. We've lost too many people."
"We're gonna do everything we can to help you. I promise."
The women's eyes both filled with tears and she wondered if they had lost someone to The Hunters. Holding back the sudden emotion at the thought, she gave them a small wave and was off to pack up the RV.
Handing off the basket to Abraham who was handling all their new supplies, she noticed Daryl packing up behind her. She approached him slowly, leaning against the vehicle until he finally noticed her, looking up from what he was doing.
His expression fell into a playful glare when he noticed the smile on her face. He knew what that look meant.
"Please don't."
"Don't what?"
"You're gonna say 'I told you so'."
"I'd never." Rhiannon defended sarcastically and Daryl snorted, shaking his head. Making his way beside her, he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"You ain't a good actor, Darlin'."
Rhiannon laughed and held onto his arm, not bothering with the hesitance of showing affection in front of others.
She felt Daryl tensing in her grip slightly and she looked up, watching as a few members of Hilltop boarded the RV.
"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked Rick who was approaching the couple.
"A few of them are comin' back with us. They're gonna tell us everythin' they know 'bout this group, map it out and we'll start on the plans of attack." He explained and Rhiannon and Daryl nodded, the bowman's rigid body relaxing at the explanation.
"We got everythin'?"
"Yeah, we're just waitin' on Maggie and Glenn. They went to check in with the doctor." Rick told them, his last sentence quieter as his eyes nervously fluttered over the couple and then looking past them to avoid what he figured would be sad eyes staring back at him.
"Ok." Rhiannon said simply and at the lack of remorse or sadness in her voice, Rick looked up, his eyes intently looking at Rhiannon and Daryl thoughtfully. He was more than pleased to see the couple was fine, that the reminder of Maggie and Glenn and the miracle they were going through, one that they were not yet experiencing, didn't absolutely crush them.
With a small smile, Rick clapped his hand on Rhiannon's shoulder comfortingly as he passed.
As everyone began to board the RV to leave, Rhiannon noticed Jesus making his way up the stairs into the vehicle.
Rob, who was directly behind him, turned on his heel, his cocky smile finding Rhiannon and she rolled her eyes. This turn of events was not a coincidence, she was sure of it.
"It's the end of the world, how are you still so lucky with guys?"
"Babe, I've been in a slump since this fuckery started. It's about damn time if you ask me."
Rhiannon laughed loudly and followed him into the RV, taking her seat, with Daryl firmly at her side.
"They better not get together." Daryl muttered together, still hating the idea of having to spend couple time with Rob and Jesus in the future. Hell, any kind of couple time that wasn't just him and Rhiannon sounded like a nightmare.
"Oh, get over it." Rhiannon hit his stomach lightly. "He doesn't seem so bad."
Within minutes, Maggie and Glenn hurried onto the RV and they soon were off, leaving the Hilltop behind as they made their way home.
Rhiannon snuggled in closer to Daryl who already had his arms open and ready for her to slide her way into. She mumbled a tired 'thank you' and let her eyes fall closed, ready to fall into a blissful sleep in his arms.
Only a few seconds later, she felt a tap at her foot, making her tired eyes open and she looked over at Glenn who smiled with barely contained glee and handed out a polaroid for her. Suddenly, every feeling of exhaustion was gone. Biting her lip to stifle a big, excited smile, she grasped onto the photograph gently, as if her slightest touch would destroy it and what it possessed.
Rhiannon felt her eyes sting with tears.
A wave of emotion crashed over her so greatly, it made her heart race.
Maggie felt her love for her sister soar as she watched her tear filled eyes flit over the picture excitedly, the look on her face already one of pure adoration. She hoped the universe would finally be kind to her sister and grace her with the life she wanted so badly.
She hoped in a few months time, they'd be in this exact position, only with Maggie holding a scan of Rhiannon's bundle of joy.
A longing so familiar bubbled within Rhiannon, one that had her more emotional than usual. Nudging Daryl lightly, she handed the picture over to him, which he took hesitantly, his questioning gaze lifting to Maggie and Glenn, as if he had to ask permission.
Maggie just smiled and nodded to him eagerly.
His eyes looked over the picture slowly, taking in every single detail. It took him a while to make out the form of the actual baby, and even when he did, it was still hard to tell it was a human baby.
Looks more like somethin' from Alien, he thought to himself. And it was the greatest thing he'd ever seen.
The smile on his face, just the barest twitch of his lips, said everything he was feeling.
The happiness for his family, the longing he felt for his own child, and the pure fear that raced through him was simultaneous. He was just thankful that last emotion, the fear, was the faintest one.
He reached out blindly, his gaze refusing to move from the picture, and placed his hand over Rhiannon's that lay on his thigh, intertwining their fingers.
Rhiannon lay her head against his shoulder, knowing exactly what was going through his head. It was what was going through her own.
Daryl handed the picture over to Abraham beside him and turned back to Rhiannon, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and she closed her eyes in contentment.
The pleads to the universe in their minds were exactly the same.
Please, let this happen for us.
Hope you guys like this chapter! I know going off cannon will lose me some readers, but I hope those who stick with my story like where this is heading! xx