Chapter 99 Forged From Fire
"If you go out that door, don't come back," Will said, giving Daryl an ultimatum.
"Please, don't do this," Daryl begged.
"Why can't you accept the fact that your brother is gone," Will argued.
"Because it just doesn't feel right to me. There's nothing, no proof, no evidence. I need to see for myself that he's really dead, and if he's still walking, I have to be the one to put him down. It's what family does for each other," Daryl justified.
"You're living in the past while the future is right here looking back at you. If what we have has ever meant anything to you, you'll stay with me and give up on your ghosts," Will pleaded one more time.
Daryl considered it. He wanted to be with Will. It felt right having someone back in his life. Being alone for so long had taken its toll on him, and he knew he could make something good here with Will. They loved each other, and Daryl never thought his heart would feel the emotion again after losing Aaron. Deep down, Daryl knew he should stay, but his mind was already made up. "It's only two weeks and then I'll be back. This is the last time. I promise."
"Funny, you said the same thing a month ago … a week ago, and here you are again, but now you're going away for longer stretches of time," said Will with disappointment.
"This is it. I swear. Two weeks and I've been up and down this river from here to the coast. If I don't find anything, I'm back for good," Daryl negotiated.
"Do you expect me to believe that? You've been searching for your brother ever since we met. If you're going to give up, do it now. Don't go. Stay here with me. This isn't like me to beg, and I hate it, but I … I want you with me."
"I have to go," Daryl told him as he turned to the front door. He regretted having to do it this way. "I stand by my promise. When I come back, I'll stay and–"
"Don't bother," Will said, and his voice had changed to something sinister. It was what he sounded like now, after all these years.
When Daryl turned back around, Will was wearing his Reaper gear, and he had a shotgun aimed at him. "Will, what are you doing?"
"Go on and tell me again how you'll come back and be with me, and how you'll never leave me again. I've heard it before. Do you even realize how many times you've made me that promise?" Will looked through the scope and adjusted his aim.
"Hey Daryl, what's this?" Aaron said innocently.
Shocked, Daryl turned from Will to find Aaron kneeling in front of the loose floorboard, a piece of paper in his hand, Daryl's note to Will. "Don't look at that," Daryl warned. He started to move toward him when he heard Will pump the chamber of the shotgun.
"Let him read it," Will said, the barrel aimed directly at him.
"What does this mean?" said Aaron, the devastation already tinging his words. "You … you love him, don't you?"
"I love you!" said Daryl putting emphasis on the last word.
"You really think he's going to buy that shit?" Will antagonized.
"But it's true, and he knows it," Daryl defended. He swung around to face Aaron again. "You do know, don't you?"
"Time's up," Will growled.
Daryl twisted his head to look at Will, and watched him fire the shotgun. "Wait!" Daryl screamed. He looked toward Aaron again, and saw him fall backwards, collapsing to the ground, a bloody hole in his chest, and the note slipping from his fingers. "No!" Daryl screamed. "Aaron!"
The scenery changed and Daryl was standing on Rick's broken bridge. Daryl's heels were hanging off the very edge where rebar protruded, and below was the rushing water of the river. Will was there with the shotgun still aimed at him. "Time to tell the truth."
"What are you doing?" said Daryl with confusion. "I told you the truth. I came back for you. I searched for you. I chose you."
"That was my point all along," said Aaron, who was now standing beside Will, a bloody mess with a hole where his heart should have been. "You did this. Now, tell the truth. TELL THE TRUTH!" he screamed.
Will loaded the shotgun again, and aimed it at Daryl. "Those were your people on the road, weren't they? Tell me!"
"No don't," Aaron said like an emotionless automaton, and he glanced down to the hole in his chest.
The gun went off. Daryl watched in slow motion as fire exploded around the bullet when it left the barrel. He looked back and down at the fast-moving water below, and pushed off. He was falling backward, and felt his stomach cringe. He wondered if this was how Rick felt that day at the bridge. Had he just let go and fallen into the icy water?
As he hit the rushing white foam, his body jolted to a halt. The river splashed all around him, and then began covering his face. There was something on his head. He couldn't breathe. He was drowning. When he tried to cry out for help, water entered his lungs and he coughed. This was the end, he thought. He would die like this, at the hands of a jilted lover that he created, and without resolving things with Aaron. He hoped it would be quick.
"Get him up," Will commanded.
Two men dressed like Reapers righted the board Daryl was tied to. One of them spoke in a demanding tone. "Where's your people? Are they still out there? Are they close?"
Daryl came to and realized it was all just a hallucination. He had been captured, and now they were trying to get information from him by waterboarding him. He was bound to a board, the burlap sack covering his head. He was soaking wet and coughing as he tried to catch his breath. "I … I don't know," he finally answered when air returned to his lungs.
"Is the woman their leader?" the man asked.
"I'm not one of them," Daryl answered as he still tried to clear his airway.
It was silent. There were no more questions. Had they finally believed him? But suddenly, the men tilted the board backward. Daryl felt his internal organs shift with the change in gravity. Blood rushed to his head. Water poured over his concealed face. He was coughing and gagging. His lungs emptied of air, but he couldn't breathe in or he would drown for sure. There seemed to be no end to the torture as he struggled against his ties.
"That's enough!" Will commanded.
"We have our orders," one of the men argued.
"I'll handle it. Let him up," Will said again.
The water stopped and Daryl took a deep breath just as he was starting to see lights exploding behind his closed eyes.
"I'll get him to crack with just a little more time," said one of the men.
"I said, sit him up. Now!" said Will angrily. The two men seemed to be testing his authority, but Will kept his control.
The board righted and everything in Daryl's body shifted back into place. Will ripped the hood from his head, and it took a moment for Daryl's eyes to adjust. He was still coughing up water, and his lungs ached.
Will stood before him, glaring down at the man he had once shared his life with. "I need you to cooperate," he demanded.
"I … told you … everything," Daryl sputtered.
Will sighed and bent down so he was level with Daryl. "You'd be better off telling me what you know. My leader is going to want a word with you, and he won't be as nice." He looked from one man to the other. "Leave me with him."
"But–"
"I said step out!" Will interrupted, and both men left the building.
Daryl had to keep the charade going. Now wasn't the time to resist. He couldn't let them know about his connection to Maggie. The fact that they kept asking about her meant they had been searching for her. They were concerned about her returning to Meridian. She had gone up against them before, and she got away. This must have pissed off their leader, and now they were looking for her.
"Okay … okay," Daryl conceded once he was alone with Will. "I came across them on the road. I had no food or water … hadn't found anything in a couple days. I traded with them. They gave me food, and I hauled some gear for them."
"What kind of gear?" he asked.
"I don't know and I didn't ask. It was concealed. Look, I was with them less than a week. I just needed something to get me by until I could find some food and a water source. That's it."
Will's eyes turned to slits as he peered at Daryl through the poorly lit room. "I don't believe you."
"That's all I've got," Daryl said in return. "Don't believe me? Fine. Kill me if that's what you want. I've got nothing else to say."
Will stepped forward, coming close to Daryl. They're eyes met again, and Daryl saw a glimpse of the man he'd once had feelings for. A piece of him was still in there, and Daryl had to play on that. He had to get Will to remember what they once meant to each other. It might be the only way for him to stay alive.
Will replaced the wet sack on Daryl's head and called the other two men back into the room. He thought for sure they were going to torture him some more. Instead, they pulled him from the board and dragged him from the building. He heard another door open and they went inside. There was an echo in this room, and concrete floors. Metal clanged like a lock swinging on a hasp, and a cell door creaked open. Daryl was shoved forward. The ropes were cut from his ankles but not his wrists, and the burlap sack was pulled off. Before he had a chance to see his surroundings, he was pushed inside. He fell to his knees, and heard the door slam shut. Daryl turned in time to see one of the men replace the padlock. He pretended like he was struggling on the floor of his cage, but he was actually listening as one of the men pulled Will to the side to talk to him.
"You shouldn't have brought him here," the man whispered.
"I can handle it," Will argued.
"You keep saying that," the man answered. Then he left the makeshift jail.
Will stood still and watched Daryl scoot around and sit down with his back to him. Daryl waited to see if Will had something to say, but the man turned and left the jail without a word.
Daryl was extremely tired. He knew he was safe for the moment, and took the time to rest up for whatever was next. Will mentioned meeting his commander, so that's what Daryl needed to prepare for. He went over his story in his head, making sure that whatever he told Will's leader would coincide with what he had already confessed to. He had a sudden memory of Aaron with a shotgun wound to his chest. Thank God that was just a dream, and Aaron was far from this place. Exhaustion overtook him, and without any warning, Daryl leaned his back against the steel bars and fell sleep.
After the longest weeks of his life, Aaron was finally back home from his mission with Gabriel. They barely had any food with them. All the places on Maggie's map had already been scavenged. It was disappointing, to say the least, but he'd never been happier to be back in Alexandria.
The guards must have seen them and notified the others of their approach. Gracie was already there, waiting for her father's anticipated return.
"Daddy!" she cried as she ran to him.
Aaron dropped everything and got to his knees, catching his daughter in his arms. He held her tighter than he ever had, and pushed away the thoughts of Mays and how close Aaron had been to death. He'd been unsure if he would ever get to have a moment like this again, and now he cherished it.
"Aw, honey, I missed you so, so much, and I love you to the moon and back," he whispered in her ear as he hugged her.
"I can't breathe, Daddy," she whimpered, and Aaron released her as he chuckled.
"Let me look at you," Aaron said when there was space between them again. "Call me crazy, but you've gotten taller while I was gone. How long has it been anyway?" he teased.
"Weeks and weeks and weeks," Gracie said with a smile.
"That's what I thought," Aaron smiled back. He stood and looked around the yard. "Where is everyone?" There were only a few workers fixing the wall that was still in terrible shape.
"Maggie and the others aren't back yet. Carol leaves every day to look for food. Rosita and Miss Sarah take turns watching the little kids. Judith and I help out. We're considered the big kids now."
"Wow, I guess I have been gone a while," he smiled at his daughter.
Just as he looked up, he saw Rosita coming his way. She was carrying a basket which held some gardening tools. She smiled when she saw Aaron, stopped and gave him a hug. "Hey, did you just get back?"
"Uh, yeah," Aaron said, brow creased in confusion. "Didn't you see Gabriel? He said he was going home to check on you and Coco."
"Oh, I was probably in the tool shed," she answered. She seemed down, and not very excited about Gabriel being back.
"Is everything okay?" Aaron asked.
Rosita glanced down at Gracie first, and forced a smile. "Yeah, it's fine." She didn't look fine. There was something going on, but she wouldn't discuss it yet. "I was just going out to forage. Saw some mushrooms yesterday."
"You gotta be careful with those. The wrong ones could have you tripping the lights fantastic," Aaron warned as he tried to inject some humor into the conversation. "How's the situation around here?"
"Well, as you can see, the wall has been a problem. Supplies are low, and tools are broken. The good thing is the walkers have kind of thinned out recently, but you know how that goes. They come in waves. How was it out there? Find anything?"
Aaron frowned and looked away. "It's tough. Maggie's map didn't pan out too well. Speaking of which, have you heard anything yet?" he asked about the group that went out.
Rosita shook her head. "Not yet. Sorry. But I think it was a long way there. They might be gone longer than we expected."
Not wanting to worry Gracie, Aaron sent his daughter away to join the children who had just come from Sarah's house to play outside. He kissed the top of her head, and watched her run to her friends. Then he faced Rosita again, a solemn look upon his face. "Now we can tell each other the truth. There's nothing out there. What we did find was minimal. Most of it is gone, or it's rusty cans. I don't know what we'll do if Maggie and them come back empty handed."
Just as he finished speaking, another metal wall panel fell. The men who were trying to erect a new section lost their grip when a rope broke. They jumped out of the way in time, but one of the men threw his hammer at the ground, and could be heard cursing with frustration. The other man wiped his forehead with his sleeve and hung his head in defeat. Things were looking real dismal.
"I better go see if they need some help," said Aaron. He hadn't even been home to drop off his pack yet, but there was no point.
"Carol's supposed to be on wall duty today, but she's out hunting, or whatever it is she does out there. Actually, she's gone most of the time. We have a schedule, but she's never there. I tried talking to her, but there's always an excuse. Maybe you can talk to her, find out what's going on," Rosita informed him. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Glad you're back." Then she left to forage.
Aaron got to work on the wall, and helped the men reset the panel. It wasn't easy, and the metal panels were heavy. It took them a long time to hoist the section up and attach it with minimal nails, and a hammer with a broken handle. Aaron was frustrated and felt bad that they didn't find more after their long journey. He felt like he had failed his people and his community. He failed Gracie and the other children, who were his main concern. He didn't want to admit it, but he could see his daughter's cheeks were slightly sunk in, and she just seemed to move slower. It was true of all the children. They weren't the same happy energetic kids they had once been. The adults even more affected by lack of food, sacrificing most of their shares to the children.
As he struggled with the wall, forcing his shoulder against it to help hold it in place, he saw Carol and Kelly enter the yard. He waited until the men got a couple more nails in place, let go, and told him he needed to speak to Carol. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and caught his breath as he saw her heading for the pantry. When he got there, she was gathering a few supplies. It looked like she was going out again.
"Hey," he greeted.
Carol turned and smiled. "Aaron, when did you get back?" she said as she stuffed some rope into her bag.
"This morning. I jumped right in and started helping with the wall. Saw Rosita this morning. She said you've been neglecting your duties, going out hunting instead of working your shift."
"I'm not hunting, per say. I'm looking for the horses. Someone said they saw them east of here," she told him.
"Getting the wall repaired is top priority," he mentioned.
"And getting the horses back is going to help with that quite a bit. Without them, we aren't able to haul anything larger that a sack of grain, which we ran out of a long time ago, by the way. We're almost out of the MRE's that Daryl found, and the fields are a joke. There's no game left within walking distance. We need the horses so we can go further out."
Aaron sighed and put his hands on his hips while he watched her stuff her backpack. "You know you'll have almost no chance of catching them on your own. Daryl and I went down that road before. It didn't work out so well for Buttons, and that was just one horse."
Carol stopped what she was doing and faced Aaron. "I can't stay around here day after day, and watch everyone struggling. Without those horses we're doomed, and no one else is doing it. I can't be here, Aaron. I'm sorry. I just can't." She gave him a half smile, slung her pack onto her back and left the pantry.
Aaron watched her go, but he didn't try to follow her. He knew her too well. Once Carol got something in her head, there was no stopping her. She was going through something right now. That much he could understand. And maybe she'd get lucky and be successful on her mission.
When he left the pantry, he saw Rosita, Kelly and Magna catch up to Carol just as she was heading out the gate. They had their packs and their weapons with them. It looked like they were going with Carol, and he was grateful for that. Maybe they had a chance at catching those horses now.
Daryl woke up to the sound of someone moaning in the room. He cracked his eyes open and looked through the bars. There was another cage across from him, and he could just make out the shape of a man lying on his side with his back to Daryl. Another prisoner, he thought to himself. "Psst. Hey!" he whispered to gain the man's attention. When he sat up and turned to Daryl, he recognized the man right away. It was Frost, one of Maggie's soldiers.
Daryl smelled the metallic scent of blood and heard Frost cough. It didn't sound good. He was severely injured.
"Daryl?" Frost said. "Hey, have you seen the others? Are they okay?" he asked with desperation.
Worried that Will or another Reaper might be listening, Daryl quickly came up with a plan. He couldn't let anyone know he was friends with Frost. "Listen, I don't know where your people are, and I don't give a shit either."
"What?" said Frost, confused by Daryl's odd behavior. "It's me, man."
"Just because we shared some food doesn't make us friends. I don't care about you or your group." Daryl faced forward, and spoke quietly as if to himself. "I should have just kept going." He glanced at Frost again. "Whatever beef you have with these people, I don't want no part of it. You hear me?" He raised his voice slightly so anyone listening would hear. "You need to shut the fuck up and leave me the hell alone. Got it?" He made eye contact with Frost, and could see that his message got across.
"I was right about you," Frost said, going along with Daryl's plan. "Should have let you starve … asshole."
Just as they finished speaking, two Reapers entered the prison. They unlocked Frost's cage and pulled him out. Frost struggled with his injury, and Daryl could see it hurt for him to move. He needed a doctor for sure, but there was nothing to do about it. Frost fought against his captors, but he was too weak. He insisted they tell him where they were taking him.
"The boss wants a word with you," one Reaper responded as they left the jail.
Daryl was alone again. He hoped Frost would be alright. He hoped he'd keep their friendship a secret. Daryl felt confident. Maggie wouldn't have depended on Frost if she didn't think he was a strong soldier. Her people believed strongly in her and her mission. They wouldn't betray her.
After what seemed like hours, the door to the prison opened, and Will walked up to Daryl's cage. "You're just as stubborn as ever," he seethed. He went to a table on the other side of the room, took off his coat and laid it down.
"Is that what you think this is?" Daryl questioned. "Me being stubborn?"
Will sighed. "Fine. Hard-headed." He came to the cage and glanced down where Daryl sat on the floor. "You need to tell the truth."
Even though Daryl had a role to play, he hated that he had to be fake with Will, but what he said next was pure honesty. "I never lied to you. Never. And I'm not going to start now." He was trying to get through to Will's conscience, and it seemed to be working until Will closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Let's try this again. What do you know about those people on the road?"
Daryl was losing him. That was fine. He'd get another chance. "I don't know shit," he argued. "I'd help you if I could. You know I would. Just give me Dog and let me go. You'll never see me again," he pleaded to the man who had once loved him.
"Is that really what you want?" Will questioned, taking Daryl by surprise.
"It's been years," Daryl eventually answered. "I would have hoped we'd met under better conditions."
Just then, the main door opened, cutting off their conversation. The same two men dragged Frost back into the room and threw him into his cage. He was barely conscious after whatever they had done to him. He was weaker and bloodier than when they collected him.
One of the guards approached Will and told him they had found someone named Bossie. Will seemed concerned and asked about a person named Turner. The guard peered over Will's shoulder to Daryl sitting inside his cage. Daryl looked away and pretended to be uninterested, but the guard led Will from the room to finish the conversation. Daryl's mind went quickly to thoughts of Maggie and the rest, and he wondered if they had any involvement in whatever was happening outside. Whatever it was, it was important enough to remove themselves from the room and talk privately.
While Daryl waited, he worked on getting his wrists untied, but he didn't make much progress. The door to the room squeaked open and Will returned. There wasn't much light in the jail, but Will's body language suggested that something terrible had happened. Daryl hated to see Will upset, but he hoped it was a sign that Maggie was close. He would have to figure out how to get out of his cage so he could get a message to her, and there was only one way to do that. He would have to get Will's people to accept him as their newest member.
Will walked up to Daryl's cage, turned his back to the bars, and sat on the floor. He didn't say anything, and he seemed like he was a million miles away. "Something happen?" Daryl asked cautiously.
"One of my brothers is dead," Will said quietly. "His name was Michael Turner. We fought all over the world together. Pope, my commander, brought him in after our last tour, back when he started his own company."
"I thought you were military. I thought you were soldiers," said Daryl curiously.
"We started out as soldiers, yes, but then we went private with Pope."
"You never told me you were a mercenary," said Daryl. He wasn't surprised that he didn't know everything about Will. During their time together, they had both been very careful about the things they shared from their past. They knew enough to bring them closer together and form a bond, but there were some things that neither man wanted the other to know.
"It doesn't matter whether we were military or not. It was all the same damn job except we could pay our bills."
"So, who was Michael?" Daryl asked. "Did you … and him–"
"No," answered Will right away. "Not like that. We had things in common and became fast friends. I thought of him as the little brother I never had."
"I'm sorry for your loss," said Daryl with genuine sympathy.
"Yeah," said Will with far off thoughts. "You know, we lost a lot of people, and it's been hard, but not like this. This is the first time I've lost someone close to me in a long time. Well, except maybe for you."
It was an unexpected confession, one that said Will still cared. "You didn't lose me," said Daryl. "I came back for you, but you were gone."
Will finally turned to face him. "You left me, Daryl. I asked you what you wanted, and you left."
The hurt in Will's voice triggered Daryl and brought him right back to that day, alone with the regret. "I got scared," he confessed, realizing the true reason he left.
"Of what?" Will asked.
"Letting go," answered Daryl. It was the truth, and he understood it now. He had feelings for Will back then. Maybe he even loved him, but there was too much history for him to forget in order to move forward. He had lost himself after the Savior's war, and then he lost Aaron. Then, he'd lost Rick in a way he never thought possible. He couldn't move on from it all, and keeping the search up for Rick had been the only thing anchoring him to his past. Daryl realized that even back then, he still held out hope of everything returning back to the way it was. Giving up the search meant giving it all up, Rick, Carol, Alexandria … Aaron. Mostly Aaron.
"It doesn't matter. It wouldn't have worked anyway," said Will, protecting himself after Daryl's confession. "We couldn't have been happy. Not in a world like this."
"Is that you talking or your family?" said Daryl, testing him.
"Like you've never done things? Killed people? Remember that night, our first night … and afterwards? You told me some of the things you'd done. You don't have the right to judge me, not at all."
"I'm not," Daryl interjected. "But I've changed a lot since then. And when we were together–"
"Stop," Will interrupted. He looked down and shook his head slowly back and forth. "That wasn't me, not really." He lifted his eyes to meet Daryl's. "This is me, Daryl. It always has been, the good and the bad. All of it. The man you knew all those years ago, I was trying to be something I'm not."
"I don't believe you."
Will took a deep breath and changed back into the soldier. "Well, I can't help with that, but I can help you save yourself. Because despite everything … I still care about you, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. So, you need to tell me something. Anything. 'Cause if you can't, I can't control my commander or what he'll do next. He's angry about Turner, and he wants someone to pay."
Daryl heard the honesty in Will's words. There was still something between them, and Daryl felt it with himself too. Perhaps he had loved Will in the past. And he still cared about him now. But he never could have loved him the way he loved Aaron. He might have been happy had he stayed that day and made a new life with Will. Maybe he could have eventually recognized a love for him, but it never could have compared with what he had with Aaron. Nothing would ever come close to touching that.
But getting back to the matter at hand, Daryl still needed to get in with Will's people in order to protect Maggie. He would have to give up some kind of information, a little truth with it as well. "There's a woman," he started to confess carefully. 'She's the leader. They were speaking code because I was an outsider, so I couldn't understand what all they were talking about, but I got enough. There's a tall, skinny guy with a mouth. Asshole never shuts up. It was really irritating. I think he was her right-hand man. Then there were a couple other guys, soldiers there at her every beck and call."
"That's their leadership?" Will asked. "Sounds like a shitshow."
"Naw," Daryl responded. "The problem is, she's got the numbers. One of them slipped up, didn't see me, and started talking about going ahead to meet up with about three dozen of their soldiers. That's a lot more than the fifteen you've got here." Daryl had been paying attention to his surroundings, and kept a count of all the Reapers he'd seen. There were probably around fifteen to twenty, less now that this Turner guy was dead.
Will stared at Daryl as he considered what he'd just confessed. Daryl knew Will would notice that he had been counting, and used it to his advantage. "You've been doing your work down here, haven't you?" Will observed.
"What else have I got to do?" Daryl adjusted how he sat so that he was slightly more front-facing toward Will. "Look, I told you what I know. Why don't you just let me have Dog, and we'll be out of your hair."
"What if I told you I could get you in … with us?" Will suggested. "I know you don't do the whole, group thing, but–"
"Alright," Daryl agreed without much convincing. "Especially if it will show you that I don't run away anymore."
Will gave a nod and stood. "I'm going to get you out of here so you can be more comfortable."
"When do I meet your commander?" Daryl asked as Will was getting ready to leave.
"Soon," said Will tersely. He left, closing the door behind him.
Daryl went back to trying to untie his bonds. He thought about what he was doing. He would have to play Will, gain his trust again, and then he would stand up for Daryl against this Pope guy. As soon as he met their leader, he would get a better idea of what to say and how to act to get Will's group to let him in. Then he would just lay low until he figured out his next move. But before he attempted an escape, he would try to convince Will to come with him. It didn't matter what Will told him. Daryl knew a different man, and that's who he believed Will was deep down. He was better than this, better than these people he considered to be his family. Whoever this Will was, the mercenary, that's not who he was meant to be. The world ended and he clung to what he knew best. Daryl wanted to show Will that there was a better life out there, even as bad as things were. Lots of people got a second chance and did something right with their lives. Will was still with the same people he'd been with before the Fall, and he hadn't stepped away from that yet. Perhaps that's what he was trying to do when they met by the river all those years ago. But he'd been alone, and Daryl knew for a fact that you couldn't heal without companionship.
A while later, the three guards came to the cell and dragged Daryl out. They didn't put the sack over his head this time, but they kept his wrists tied. They crossed the yard and entered a stand-alone building. Daryl recognized it right away as the place where they tortured him. The board he was tied to was there, and the buckets too, though they were empty now. The guards pushed him down onto a chair and stood back to watch him while they waited for either Will or Pope to arrive. Daryl sat in silence, keeping a narrowed eye on the men, one in particular. His name was Carver, and he had it in for Daryl. Right away he knew Carver would be a problem. He wouldn't be easily convinced that Daryl wanted to join their group. He was suspicious. He was smart. Daryl would have to outsmart him.
Carver glared at Daryl for a long time before he spoke with ignorance. "I don't get your kind, but I know Will, and he's not your typical fag. I don't think he's even one of you anymore."
One of the guards, a middle-aged man, laughed as he spoke. "I don't think it works like that, man."
"You should know," jested the third guard, a tall skinny man with short brown hair.
"Fuck you, man. I ain't no queer," said the older man.
"Both of you shut up," Carver complained. "Will's not a queer, not like this piece of shit. I mean, look at him. Who would want to stick their dick up his dirty ass?"
"Maybe he's the one doing the sticking," the skinny man pointed out.
Will came into the room, and heard them heckling Daryl. "Alright, that's enough. Out," he commanded.
The three men left, but Carver eyed Daryl on his way toward the door. "Pussy," he mumbled as he passed. He closed the door behind them, leaving Will and Daryl alone.
Will stood next to the chair Daryl sat in, looking down at him. "Just ignore them."
"They don't bother me none," said Daryl.
"Pope is on his way," Will informed, getting back to the business at hand.
"Anything I should know about this guy before I meet him?" Daryl asked.
"If you want him to give you a chance, then follow my lead." Will bent down and untied the ropes binding Daryl's wrists. "He's gonna want to test you."
"This ain't my first rodeo," Daryl said. Will was still face to face with Daryl, and they connected for a split second. "Will, before he comes in here, I just wanted to say–"
"What the hell?" Will interrupted. There was a sloshing noise just outside the door. He walked over and was going to open it to find out what was happening, but the door was locked. Liquid seeped in, spreading quickly across the floor. He looked back at Daryl as soon as the invading smell registered. "Gasoline," he said, confused at first, until they heard the sound of a lighter being flicked.
"Get back!" Daryl warned, and the gas on the floor lit up in flames.
Will jumped out of the way before he caught fire. Daryl was already up and moving toward one of the windows. Unfortunately, they were boarded up. He pulled on one of the slats multiple times, but without success. The fire was spreading quickly, moving up the walls. The shed was made of wood. It would go up in flames in no time. They had to get out now.
Will picked up a folding chair and threw it at a different boarded up window. It bounced off and landed across the room near a wall that was starting to burn. Smoke engulfed him and he started choking. Daryl heard Will in distress, and untied his infamous red rag from around his leg. He handed it to Will, who covered his mouth so that he could breathe slightly better. Then Daryl tried pulling on the boards off the window that Will had just attacked. One of the boards had loosened, but Daryl still couldn't pull it down. He decided he would take a turn with the metal folding chair, and he stepped across the room to grab it. However, the chair had been sitting too close to the fire, and it burned the palm of Daryl's hand.
"Daryl, there," Will called out, pointing at the water boarding device.
Daryl rushed over and kicked the wooden board, trying to break it apart. He kicked it hard enough that it came off of its metal frame. Then he took a piece of the broken frame and used it like a crowbar. This time he successfully removed one of the slats from the window. It was enough that he was able to use the metal bar to break the glass of the window. With Will's help, they pulled off more slats until they had an area just big enough for them to escape. By that time, the entire shed was on fire. Daryl grabbed Will by the shoulder and pushed him toward the window. Will made eye contact with Daryl, as though he wondered why Daryl was helping him to get out first.
"Hurry," Daryl told him, and Will gave a nod. "I'm right behind you."
With Will safe from the burning building, Daryl finally crawled through and landed on the ground outside of the shed. He saw Will on the ground, coughing and trying to find the energy to stand up. Daryl felt like his leg was still burning, and glanced down to see his pant leg smoldering. He stood and started smacking it to put the fire out. Then he glanced to where Will stood, trying to clear his lungs. Both men turned away from the burning building to find Pope and the others watching the scene unfold before them. Daryl was seething, and wished he could take Pope down. It was obvious that this was the test, but for who? They had locked Will in the building with Daryl, but why?
Maybe now Will would see how much his so-called family cared about him. It was one thing to test Daryl. He was new to the group. They didn't trust him yet. But Will had been with some of these men for years, and this was how they treated their own? To Daryl's surprise, Will ignored Daryl. He didn't even check to see if he was okay. Instead, Will gathered himself and crossed the distance of the yard to stand with his brothers in arms. Pope watched every move Will made, and seemed satisfied with his decision to rejoin his people without a word. Now they all stood across from Daryl and watched him for his reaction. He gave them none.
Pope moved forward, gaining the attention of his men. He watched Daryl and waited. Daryl stood straight, welcoming whatever challenge Pope might have for him. Instead, Pope spoke. "Forged by fire. Ordained by God. Welcome him. Fortitudo Saludis!"
The group waited until they were sure Pope was finished. The man walked past Daryl, and as he did, he whispered his congratulations. "Know that you will always be tested, but not always by me. Welcome … brother."
The rest of the men broke rank and went in whatever direction they needed to go. No one spoke to Daryl with any congratulations or welcome. It was clear they still didn't trust him, even with Pope's approval. Daryl would have to earn their trust, but he wouldn't be around long enough for that.
Will was the last one to leave. He stared at Daryl from across the yard. It seemed not even Will was convinced of his loyalty, but he would be the only one Daryl could count on to stand up for him if he was challenged by the others. Will, having been tested with Daryl, was more suspicious of Pope now, and Daryl could use that to his advantage.
He didn't want to go that route. It didn't feel right. He had been close to Will. He had loved him once upon a time, and he tried not to revisit those feelings. It was difficult not to because he still cared for the man. He had trouble with that. Daryl had never been in this situation before. It had always been Aaron in his heart, even after they separated, even in the beginning stages of his relationship with Will. Daryl's mind went back to the day he left the cabin after Will gave him an ultimatum. It happened as he was trekking through the forest, heading for an unexamined spot on his map. It hit him like a sledgehammer, as though his heart had been rebooted. It was the moment he realized he loved Will, and wanted to make a future with him. That was the moment he finally let Aaron go.
Will broke eye contact first, and came toward Daryl, not stopping as he passed. Daryl watched him. He wanted to reach out to him. He could see the pain on Will's face after almost being burned alive alongside Daryl. He started to reach out to Will, to show compassion, to show he still cared. "Hey. You alrigh–"
"Pope will speak with you now," said Will, cutting him off without a single glance his way. He walked toward a breezeway, but went left into one of the buildings while Pope went to the right. Daryl had no choice but to follow Pope, and shook the thoughts of Will from his mind. It was go time.
It was late in the day, and Aaron had been working the entire day away with a crew to repair the wall. He hadn't even gone home or seen Gracie since walking in the gates earlier in the morning. He took a step back to look at their work, and it hardly seemed like they accomplished anything. The panels were heavy and took all their effort to lift them into place. Broken tools and limited nails slowed them down too, but at least they were moving forward.
Aaron heard a gate guard call out the arrival of Carol, Magna, Kelly and Rosita. He was happy knowing they returned, and he watched for them to enter the yard. What he saw made him gasp with amazement. The women came in, each one riding upon a horse. They had found four of the lost horses, and it was the best news they gotten in a long time. People clapped and cheered as they rode through town.
"Hey, Aaron, wanna grab that rope?" one of the men called.
"Oh, sorry," he apologized, and got back to what he was doing. They had just hoisted another panel up, and Aaron's job was to secure the rope so the metal sheet wouldn't slip out of place while the other two men secured it. He paused to watch the women enter the yard and allowed too much slack. "Wow, this is great," he commented as he tightened his hold. "We'll be able to get the panels up quicker now."
"It will save us time and energy," the other man commented. "This has been hell, especially working on an empty stomach."
"Hopefully, Maggie and the rest will be back soon with food and supplies," Aaron said, but he worried whether they would be successful or not. They had been gone for a long time, longer than Aaron had been gone. From what he had heard, it was a dangerous mission.
It made Aaron nervous to know Daryl was out there risking it all again. They hadn't settled their differences last time they saw each other, and they still had things to hash out. Talking with Gabriel about his relationship with Daryl had made Aaron realize he'd been overly critical about a few things, but it still didn't change the fact that Daryl kept his relationship with Will a secret. Aaron didn't want to argue about it anymore. He wanted to get everything out in the open so that they could move on and get back to a healthy relationship. He needed Daryl to tell the truth about how deep his relationship with Will had been or he would always wonder.
The panel was finally in place, and Aaron called for them to take a break. He wanted to check on the women, ask about how they got the horses back, and whether they found anything else. They needed to organize a scavenger party to go out looking for food, once the horses had rested and were taken care of. As he made his way to the stables, he saw Magna and Carol talking. Magna turned and marched off, leaving Carol to watch after her. Then Carol walked away toward the back of the town and the makeshift stables. Aaron started to follow, but one of the townspeople stopped him to ask about weapons training, and joining his militia. Since taking down the Whisperers, and trying to get Alexandria rebuilt, he had gotten away from his duties. With a lack of food and security, training hadn't been top priority, and he was ashamed to admit it. He told them he would work on it, and he hoped he could keep his word. He would be able to if Maggie came back with food and supplies. It would help alleviate a lot of problems.
When Aaron was finished conversing, his sight went back to where he'd seen Carol, but of course she was gone. He decided to go check on her and to see what she was up to. Glancing inside several buildings along the way, he didn't see her until he got to the stables. Three of the horses were put up in their individual stalls, eating, drinking and resting after their long adventures on their own. But when he came around the corner to the fourth stall, and looked inside he didn't expect to see what he did. Carol's horse was laying on the hay-strewn floor with Carol kneeling beside its head. She was struggling with a large metal pan, trying to push it beneath the horse while lifting its heavy head. At first, Aaron thought the horse was sick and she was trying to get it to drink water. But then the metallic smell hit his nostrils, the unforgettable scent of blood. When he stepped through the door of the wooden shed, he saw the bloody knife on the floor, and more blood spilling from the horse's neck. Carol was trying to collect it in the pan, as though to keep the mess down for easier clean-up.
She caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and whipped around to find Aaron watching her. She looked guilty and sad at the same time, and he could tell she didn't want to do what she was doing. That's when Aaron realized her motive, and it was depressing, especially after being elated for their small victory.
"She was injured, and she was the weakest of the four," Carol explained.
It had finally come this, Aaron thought to himself. They were beyond desperate for food, and Carol took it upon herself to sacrifice one of the horses so that their people wouldn't starve. Aaron didn't say a word. He came into the shed and helped Carol with the metal pan. They worked in silence until the blood came out at a trickle. Carol hung her head, part from exhaustion and part from sorrow.
"You should go. I can take it from here," Carol told him.
Aaron watched her as she turned her attention back to the horse. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve and picked up her knife. "Have you ever done this before?"
Carol nodded. "Not a horse though."
"I'll stay," he said, making sure she knew he was there for her. "It's a big job for one person."
Carol stopped and glanced at Aaron, giving him a slight smile of gratitude. "Thank you."
They worked together, butchering the horse as best as they knew how to make jerky from the meat. When they were done, they stood back to observe their work.
"We need Maggie and the rest to come home with a successful haul," Carol mentioned.
"I'm worried," Aaron admitted. "They've been gone longer than I expected. I got a bad feeling that something happened."
"I'm sure they'll be back soon," Carol said to try and easy his worry.
Aaron shook his head. "I don't know. I've had reservations about this since Daryl left. We didn't part on the best of terms. I've had time to think about it. I should have been more understanding. I should have listened to his side of the story better. For weeks now, I've thought about what I would say once Daryl gets home, but as the days pass, I'm getting scared for him … for all of them. What if they weren't successful? What it they were captured? What if they're–"
"They'll be back. They always come home. Sometimes it just takes longer than they predicted. Remember, Maggie knows Meridian. So do her people. They'll know how to sneak in, and how to avoid capture. She won't let anything happen to Daryl."
Aaron nodded, though he wasn't thoroughly convinced. Something in the back of his mind kept nudging him to do something. And now that they had the horse meat, it would buy him some time. The only thing keeping him from going was leaving Gracie again. He'd just gotten home. He had hardly seen her. And every time he left, it felt like she hardened up a little more. Did she think he'd rather be away from her?
That night, Aaron went to bed and gathered Gracie to him. They talked about what she'd done while he was gone with Gabriel. She asked about his trip. He, of course, didn't mention any of the bad things he'd seen or done. Instead, he told her about the good things, as few as they were. Gracie cuddled the stuffed animal he'd found at the warehouse. To her it was just a toy, but to him, there was an entirely different story that went along with it. They both drifted off to sleep, Gracie with the comfort of having her father back, and Aaron with thoughts of how close he came to not coming home at all. He said a silent prayer for Daryl and succumbed to his slumber.