Okay, considering this has been getting a lot of publicity lately, I feel like at this point, I have to address the growing elephant in the room. I can promise you guys, that whether or not Daryl comes out as gay in the show, he will remain straight in this fanfic. He will not split up with Tessa and he won't be checking out the shape of Rick's ass in those Wranglers (which is quite nice some scenes, I admit LOL). The only way this fanfic is going to end (considering it follows right on alongside the show) is if Daryl dies. That is the only way shit's gonna end. So no, even if he does come out as gay, this fanfic will not end. Just thought I needed to clear that up for you guys :)
kat hatake90: I know right? I wouldn't cheat on Daryl either, but we're not out of the forest of drama yet - there's still much more to come lol.
HaloHunter89: Holy shit, I still don't know how I'm gonna split up the group at the church. That was a curveball that I'm still trying to figure out. I'm sure I'm will, but still, damn AMC! I love Eugene too and I'm definitely thinking about writing more parts of him in. As for Jeremy and Tess, nothing's going to happen. He's a simple insurance policy for me, so-to-speak, and that's it.
Guest: Thanks . . . I guess? O.o
DarylDixon'sLover: Thanks for the review, hun :)
Love you bunches!
- Nagiana
"Ya okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Ya sure? I can take him for a spell."
Tessa smiled at Daryl whose face remained expressionless. She gave a shake of her head but moved closer to him. "I'm fine, Daryl. If I get tired of holding him, I'll let you know, okay?" Daryl nodded.
"When ya wanna split away?" He asked and she tossed an apprehensive glanced towards the people walking ahead of them.
"Let's hang about a little bit more, okay?" Daryl nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but Ethan suddenly latching his hand onto his shoulder, forcing him to come to a stop, kept him from speaking.
Tessa and Daryl turned to gaze at their son, only to see his eyes wide and a stricken look on his face. "Ethan, what's wrong?" Daryl asked, his body suddenly flooding with adrenaline and Ethan shook his head.
"Deddy, its Rick!"
He pointed and they immediately followed his finger, only for two lead weights to drop into their stomachs at what they saw. Rick and Michonne were kneeling on the ground, guns pointed at their heads and with Joe behind the gun pointed at Rick.
"Shit!" Daryl hissed under his breath before taking off. Ethan handed Aayla to Tessa too and she took her with some effort. Together, they made a slower but no less charging pace after Daryl. Tessa couldn't help but adopt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach – like there was no way in Hell that this was about to end peacefully.
"Joe!"
Daryl's voice split through the air and immediately, Joe's head shot up so that his eyes could lock with Daryl's. They flitted to Ethan when the fifteen-year-old moved to join his father, their expressions matched. They still held stricken looks and when Tessa slowly entered the picture, Daryl and Ethan saw tears appeared in Michonne's face. Tessa felt the sharp burn of tears in her eyes too but forced herself from running to her two friends. This area was a minefield as it was.
Daryl shook his head and took a few steps forward. His palms were suddenly very sweaty and he could see Ethan readjust his grip on his rifle as he inched forward with him. He could see the tight grip Tessa had on the twins and felt himself stiffen when one of Joe's men moved to stand menacingly behind her. "H-Hold up for a minute . . ."
"You stopped me on eight, Daryl." Joe spoke, his voice laced with anger and impatience, and Daryl shook his head again.
"Just . . . hold up . . ."
"This is the guy that killed Lou, so we don't have anything to hold up." One of the men interjected and Daryl glanced at him as Ethan gave a hard swallow. His gaze flitted to Rick's and his eyes silently asked him where Carl was. In turn, Rick's eyes flitted to the nearby car and Ethan glanced to the right, his lip threatening to curl upwards in disgust at the fat, greasy pig that was currently salivating at the window of the car where Carl was surely trapped like a rat.
"The thing is about nowadays, is that we've got nothing but time." Joe spoke before Daryl could reply to the man, and Daryl felt his heart give a violent thump against his chest. "So say your piece, Daryl."
"These people . . . ya gonna let 'em go." He spoke, his voice firm and brooking no argument, and Ethan had to swallow the lump building in his throat at his father's words. Those were fighting words or they had the potential to be fighting words. "These are good people."
Joe adopted a small, almost amused smile at those words. "N-Now, I think Lou would disagree with you on that. I'll, of course, have to speak for him, considering your friend here strangled him in a bathroom!"
"Ya want blood, I get it." Ethan suddenly spoke up, and everyone's alarmed gazes flickered onto him, including Daryl. He swallowed hard again before continuing: "My girl was taken by someone. I don' know who, but she was. And I ain' gonna rest until I find her or the bastards who took her and make them pay. So if there is anyone here who knows how badly ya want blood, it's me." His gaze flickered down to Rick and he shook his head. "I-I don't . . . I don't why Rick strangled your friend, but there . . . there had to be a good reason for it! Rick's not a bad man – he isn't!"
Daryl placing his crossbow on the ground, was what drew everyone's attentions away from Ethan and when he stepped back, his body was tensed and ready. "Take it from me, and take it from my boy. This ain' worth it."
A silence thick enough to cut it with a chainsaw, suddenly descended onto them. Daryl was sure the violent thump of his heart was audible to everyone. In fact, this thought was flitting through the heads of Ethan, Tessa, Rick and Michonne, as well. Eventually, Joe spoke, and when he did, Daryl knew this wasn't going to end well at all.
"This man killed our friend. You and your boy says he's good people, but that right there is-is a lie! It's a lie!"
"Daryl!"
"Deddy!"
Daryl felt the wind being shot from his lungs as something hit him in the back of the knees, bringing him to the black pavement. Another grabbed Ethan around the middle, forcing him to drop his gun and to kick and scream, as he was thrown backwards. Scrambling to his knees beside Michonne, he quickly held up his hands as his own rifle was pointed in his face. The screeching of a rusted car door opening, could be heard, as well and Carl crying out as the fat man yanked him out of the car and pinned him down on the pavement. Everything was spiraling out of control and as the twins began crying, Tessa had tears running from her eyes as she took a couple of steps forward.
"Joe, please!"
"Tess, stay ba -!"
Daryl's words were abruptly cut off by a swift kick in the stomach that had him doubling over again, breathless, in pain, and seeing stars. Joe's eyes finally landed on her and he grinned. She swallowed hard as her blurry eyes landed on Daryl getting the shit beat out of him on the pavement, her son kneeling beside her best friend with his own gun pointed in his face, before eventually settling them onto Rick. His face was hard, his eyes even harder but she knew what he was telling her with his hard gaze boring into hers.
Distract him.
"I always liked you, Tess. We . . . you know, never really agreed on some things, but despite all that, I've always liked you. And we can settle this - we're reasonable men."
Tessa frantically nodded at that. "Yes – yes, you are! And so are Rick and Daryl and my son. Just let us go and we'll go on our way and you'll never see us again -!"
Joe letting out a harsh bark of a laugh, caused her to come to a sputtering stop. He shook his head. "You know we can't do that Tess! We can't live with a wolf constantly nipping at our heels – that ain't no way to live!" He shook his head, his face suddenly solemn. "But I can tell you what we are going to do. First we're gonna beat Daryl and your boy to death, then we'll smash the babies brains into the asphalt – put 'em out of their misery, you know? After that, we're gonna have the girl here," Referring to Michonne and Tessa swallowed hard, her gaze momentarily connecting with Michonne's as her grip on her babies tightened. "Then the boy, then I'm gonna shoot Rick and we'll be square." Tessa took in a deep breath.
"And where . . . do I fit in, in that equation?" She asked, her voice shaky and there was a momentary lapse in the beating of Daryl. Heaving and with every inch of him in excruciating pain, Daryl turned his eyes onto Joe still leaning by a fuming Rick. Joe allowed their gazes to connect as he grinned.
"I've always liked Tessa, buddy, so I'll keep her alive. God knows she'll get a good ride from here on out -"
"Ya fuckin' bastard! Ya touch her and I'll -!"
Joe laughed again as Daryl was brought back down to his knees from the lunging position he had taken, but the men grouped around him. "I don't think you're in a position to be threatening me, Daryl. I don't think anyone would be in that position now." He turned his gaze back onto Tessa, however, her gaze was locked with Rick's again. Carl was thrust down to the ground and she raised her head slightly.
"Oh, Joe . . .?"
"Yes, sweetpea?"
Tessa felt her lip curl up in disgust at the nickname. Why was it, that every man who wanted her in a bad way, called her that? "I'd watch my neck if I were you."
Everything happened so fast at that moment. Rick head-butted Joe in the stomach and he knelt there, reeling from the gunshot going off in his ear, as Joe stumbled away, hunched over and reeling from the force of Rick's head in his stomach. Tessa closed her eyes and kneeled down to make herself and the twins as small as possible. She didn't see what was happened, but the sound of scuffling could be heard before suddenly, every one of Joe's men started screaming out in horror as Joe started screaming in pain. She held the twins as tight to her as she could, as gunshots rang out and as the sound of Michonne's sword swishing through the air, filled her ears.
When everything was silent, she felt gentle, shaking hand on her shoulders. Opening her eyes, they immediately widened at the carnage surrounding her, especially at the blood and gore on Rick's beard as Joe lay sputtering with his vein ripped out on the pavement. Her eyes fell onto Daryl and Ethan kneeling beside her and her eyes filled with tears as she launched herself and the twins into their arms. They held her close, all three of them shaking as the twins cleared up their crying, somewhat.
"No . . . he's mine!"
Rick's gravelly voice split through the air, and Tessa turned around to watch as he all but gutted the fat man who had his grip on Carl earlier.
"Don't watch, babydoll, don' watch," Daryl spoke, but Tessa shook her head.
"No. It's about time we had that Rick back."
When everything had fallen back to absolute silence, was when Tessa and Michonne ushered the kids into the nearby car for some sleep. She had gotten to her feet earlier when everything had been done, and found herself and the twins embraced by Michonne and a still shaking Carl. They had been so happy to see each other, that they had momentarily forgotten the carnage that had just taken place around them.
"How's he doing?"
Michonne heaved a sigh as she sat beside a sleeping Carl and shook her head. "I don't know. I guess we'll know when he wakes up." Tessa nodded in agreement, and Michonne gave another smile.
"I'm so happy you're okay, girl." Tessa nodded and returned her smile.
"Me too. Have you found any of the others?" Michonne shook her head.
"You, Daryl and the kids are the only ones we've come across so far." Her eyebrows furrowed. "Where's Wren?"
Tessa's face fell then and they could hear Rick and Daryl's low voices as they talked outside the car. She shook her head and told her everything – what they had done since escaping from the prison, how they had lost Beth and Wren both to a strange black car – how that had utterly destroyed Ethan. By the time she was done, Michonne was shaking her head in sympathy.
"Poor you - poor Ethan!" Tessa nodded.
"He's not the same anymore, Michonne. He's . . . he doesn't joke anymore, he doesn't cut up like he used to. He doesn't . . . he's not even the same around Daryl anymore. It's like . . . it's like he become another Daryl now that Wren's gone – another Will. He's empty and I don't know what to do."
"Any leads?"
Tessa shook her head. "None. We haven't seen the black car since. Hell, I'm afraid at what Ethan will do if he sees it again." She told her, and Michonne nodded as they fell into another silence then. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, though, it was one of those comforting one that Tessa had long since missed since fleeing from the prison.
"I think . . . I think I need to tell you something. I haven't told anyone but Carl . . ." Michonne eventually spoke up, and Tessa shot her a look of interest.
"What is it?"
Michonne avoided her eyes as she spoke: "I was a mother before all this happened. A little boy – not that much older than the twins. His name was Andre." Tessa's eyes softened.
"Michonne, honey, you don't need to tell me this -"
"But I want to. I need to. You're my best friend, Tess. If I'm going to tell anyone this, then it mine-as-well be you." She told her and Tessa nodded and waited patiently for her to continue. Michonne told her everything as well – everything that she had told Carl, and even a little more she hadn't told him, and when she was done. Tessa leaned forward and with a small smile on her face, took her friend's hand, where she gave it a small squeeze.
"We've all had shit happen to us – before and after all this happened. We've all done shit we would take back if we could – again, before and after. And I feel honored that you shared this with me. So your secret is safe with me, honey." Michonne gave her a small smile before returning the squeeze.
"Do we look like tha'?"
Tessa gave a grin and a laugh as she shook her head. Fallen leaves crunched underfoot as they walked along the traintracks with part of their reunited group. Ethan and Carl walked behind Daryl and Tessa, who were in turn, walking behind an affectionate Rick and Michonne. "No . . . no I don't think we are. Not in front of other people, anymore, anyways." She told him, and Daryl nodded. Just being away from Joe's group and back in the company of people they knew and loved, made a lighter cloud descend onto them. Even Ethan was turning into a little bit more of his older self, and the babies were starting to babble again more and more.
Daryl chuckled and nodded. "Good. 'Cause tha's jus' sickenin'." He spoke and Tessa shook her head.
"I think it's cute. It's about time the both of them started being happy again." She told him, and Daryl gave a nod of agreement as they came to a stop beside a fallen sign for Terminus.
"We're close. Prolly 'bout a day's walk." Daryl spoke up with a look thrown over his shoulder at Ethan, who silently nodded in agreement. Rick nodded as well, but towards the tree line that had been running alongside them.
"Let's take the woods. We don't know who these people are." He spoke and they all nodded in agreement as they stepped off the traintracks and moved into the woods. Daryl's hand was a ghosting touch on the small of her back to help steady her as she moved down the slight embankment with arms full of twins, and she shot him a thankful look, one that he returned. No, maybe she had been wrong . . . maybe they were constantly affectionate in front of everyone, although in a different way – a lot more subtle than years previous.
When they reached the chain-link fence that encircled Terminus, they all peered through the links and the brush covering them. The place seemed all but empty, but they knew better than anyone that looks could be very much misleading. "We'll split up," Rick spoke as he turned back to gaze at everyone. "Watch out, though – keep on the alert. We don't know how many they have in there, or their firepower. Get ready. We all stay close."
"We need to come."
Everyone's eyes shot onto Tessa then, who pursed her lips. "I know it's dangerous and I know it's reckless as Hell, but . . . they might not be too keen to shoot on sight, if you have a mother with two babies in your ranks," She turned her gaze onto Daryl and Rick respectively. "Babies are babies, guys. People hesitate to shoot them and especially the people or person carrying them."
It took a moment, but eventually, Michonne nodded. "She's right. At the most, it'd give us an edge going in." She turned her eyes onto an expressionless Daryl, although Tessa and Ethan could clearly see the apprehension lurking there beneath the surface nevertheless. "And we'd put her in the middle of us the entire time going in – no one would get to her as long as we're surrounding her but yet she'd still be clearly visible."
After a moment, Daryl gave his consent in a hesitant nod. "Okay. But you stay in the middle the entire time, got it? Unless one of us pulls you out of the way, you stay in the middle!" He spoke, pointing his finger at her, and Tessa nodded.
"Yes, sir." She replied, and Daryl forced a smile from his face as he quietly ushered her away.
"Come on, mine-as-well give ya a gun then." He spoke, and Rick nodded in agreement as Ethan and Michonne moved to follow them. Carl stayed behind, however, but Tessa didn't hear their conversation. She was too busy being steered by Daryl.
"I really hope this doesn't blow up in our face . . ." Daryl muttered, and Tessa swallowed hard before nodding.
"Me too, baby . . . me too."
Things blew up.
They had climbed the fence and taken the backdoor into Terminus. True to Daryl's word, they kept a ring around Tessa and the twins at all time. Her heart pounded in her chest the entire time, especially when they came face-to-face with the Termites. Rick stepped forward and said hello first, and even that early into their encounter, Tessa felt everyone's eyes on her and the twins sitting silently in her arms. She saw some eyes widened in surprise at seeing a mother and two babies this far into the apocalypse while others held looks that she wasn't intent on deciphering at that moment.
"Looks like you've been on the road awhile."
"We have. I'm Rick. That's Carl, Michonne and Daryl. The woman and the kids, are Tessa, Aayla and Danny."
"I can't even remember the last time I saw a baby!" One of the Termites spoke, her voice full of awe, and Gareth smiled tightly. There was something about him none of them trusted.
"There really are such things as miracles, then, huh?"
Of course he couldn't be trusted. None of them could. Tensions started when Gareth told them to lay out all their weapons – that they needed to see them. That was the first moment when Tessa knew things weren't going to end well. Telling Daryl and Michonne they needed to part with their crossbow and sword, was dangerous to even joke about, and she could see the look that crossed between Rick and Daryl at his , Rick gave them the okay they needed to lay out their weapons and once they were frisked in order to make sure they were being truthful, picked up their weapons and followed Gareth's shifty brother out into the courtyard. The others again, formed a ring around Tessa and the twins the entire time.
As they spoke at the grill, Tessa felt Rick steadily but casually inch towards her. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as – in the guise of looking at the buildings behind them – hissed to her. "The backpack. The poncho. The riot gear. The cargo pants."
Tessa's eyes darted to the items as he spoke them and her heart descended into her stomach. All those things – they belonged to their people – to Maggie and Glenn and everyone else. They had come here and the Termites had done something to them!
But what?
The circle around Tessa tightened just a tad as Rick marched forward and grabbed ahold of Gareth's brother. Their weapons immediately rose as Rick took out the pocket watch that had been in the pocket of the cargo pants he had been wearing, and demanded where he had gotten it from. Gareth appeared and after a moment of very tense wordplay, a gunshot split through the air. Gareth's brother suddenly slumped dead against Rick and he dropped him to the ground before gunshots and yells suddenly split through the silence. She felt Daryl's hand latch around her elbow and felt him pull her down one twisting direction to another. It wasn't long before Tessa realized one very mind-numbing, frightening thing:
They were herding them.
"Daryl?"
"I know babydoll, I know. Jus' stick close to me."
She nodded and continued to allow him to pull her along behind him while the rest of their group scrambled after them, taking potshots when they got a free moment, and generally as on high alert as Daryl was at that moment.
When they entered a massive room filled with candles and haunting writing painted in bold black letters on the wall, Tessa felt vaguely sick. It seemed like they had just stumbled onto the set of a horror movie except that this wasn't a set. This was real – frighteningly real.
Her hand moved down to entwine with Daryl's, and he allowed her too. She could see the fear start to register in his eyes. Feeding off of that energy, the twins started to sniffle and tears started to rise up in their eyes. Tessa's heart ached for her children. Jesus Christ, what life was this for them?
"Where are we?" She finally spoke out, and everything there gave a shrug of bewilderment.
"These people . . . I don't think they're trying to kill us." Michonne spoke up, and Rick nodded in agreement.
"No. They've been aiming at our feet the entire time – getting us moving – herding us. But come on – there!" He pointed to a door at the far end of the hall and they jogged to it. Bursting out of the room to more gunfire herding them, they came to a skidding stop in a clearing with a train car situated a little ways away. They were also impossibly surrounded. If possible, their heart rates increased even more.
They turned to look at each other. "Rick, what are we gonna do?" Tessa asked, stricken and fearful, but before he could answer her, Gareth's voice split through the still air.
"Drop your weapons! Now!"'
After a moment, they did as they were told and immediately, Tessa moved into Daryl's arms, seeking the comfort there she knew none of them no longer had.
What was going to happen to them?
"Ringleader, go to your left. The train car – go."
Rick glanced at the peeling red train car before glancing at the others. "You do what we say, then the boys go in with you. You don't do what we say, then they die and you all go in there anyway." Gareth shouted out when Rick made no movement to go and Carl and Ethan both shot looks at each other. After a moment, Rick took off for the train car and Gareth's voice called out again: "Now the Archer. Then the Mother. And finally, the Samurai."
Tessa released a shaky breath as Daryl took off after Rick, followed closely behind by her and then finally, Michonne. Carl and Ethan remained where they were and she could almost feel how tense Daryl was in front of her.
"Stand at the door: Ringleader, Archer, Mother and Samurai, in that order."
"My son!" Daryl and Rick called out at the same time, and Gareth nodded towards them.
"Go, kids."
Immediately, Carl and Ethan took off at a fast walk for the rest of them.
"Ringleader: open the door and go in."
Rick shook his head. "I don't go in without my son. And neither are the people behind me without theirs." He shouted, and Gareth shook his head.
"Don't make us kill them now!"
Rick gazed at Carl and Ethan for a moment before he slid open the train car and stepped into the darkened interior. Daryl, Tessa and Michonne followed, leaving Carl and Ethan the last ones to enter. The doors closed behind them, leaving them in near impenetrable darkness until a figure slowly came into the light, a figure that made Ethan break out into the first grin he's had since Wren was kidnapped.
"Rick?"
Glenn was standing there and slowly, Maggie and Sam and Sasha and Bob came into view behind him. "You're here." Rick spoke, and Maggie let out a sob as her and Tessa embraced tightly. Glenn and Ethan embraced as well before quickly breaking apart so that Maggie could pull Ethan into a hug, as well. Tessa gave Sam a small smile and so did Ethan, as Maggie pressed a lingering kiss to the twins' temples. Danny let out a cry and reached out his arms to Maggie, who laughed and took him from Tessa, where she held him close.
"Thank God you guys are alright!" She sniffed, and Tessa nodded.
"I know, right?" She grinned and it was then, through the gloom, that she caught sight of him. Stepping into the light, at first, she thought she was seeing things. But when he too started gazing at her like someone who had just seen a ghost, she couldn't help but feel suddenly very lightheaded.
"Jeremy?"
