Holy sweet Mother of Jesus, has it really been this long since I've updated? I'm truly sorry for the wait, guys - my life has been hit continuously by shit since the last time I've updated. That, and I honestly have had an extremely hard time gathering up the chutzpah to write out this chapter. I was wanting to wait until they uploaded the season onto Netflix (would have made it much easier) but it seems like they're taking their own sweet time doing that, so I had to revert back to my past way of doing this, which was by using CouchTuner, which is a little bit bad for my computer. That being said, again, I am extremely sorry for the wait, and I hope this chapter makes up for it.

I have started a writing schedule for this story, which is something along the lines of writing out three chapters at a time so I can update more regularly. Hopefully, this will be a schedule I am more adept at keeping, because I am just as sick of not updating this story as you guys are.

Taylor (Guest): Hey, and thanks for the review! And yes, I do know that. I am actually in the process of completely updating TWTTIN. After that, I'll completely update what I have already written of this story, so hopefully, I will correct his name. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, though :)

HaloHunter89: Girl, I am SO freaking sorry for this long delay - I know you must be really angry with me. I'm trying to get better though, I promise. That being said, I'm so happy you loved the last chapter! And I have so many feels for an AU, What-If-the-Apocalypse-Never-Happened story for Daryl and Tessa, and I'm sure, at one point, I WILL write it, but probably not now ha ha.

Thank you all again for sticking with me this long, and I promise to start updating more frequently!

Love you all bunches!

- Nagiana


"They got problems, means we've got a chance."

"We gotta get back to 'em fast," Daryl spoke next as a violent clanging in the next room threatened to drown out his words. "I wouldn' put it past these assholes to execute 'em all jus' for spite!" Jeremy nodded as he returned, makeshift weapons in his hands.

"Don't know about you guys, but that sounded like a bomb."

"Sounds like a damn war to me." Ethan added as he took a baseball bat from Jeremy. He leveled him with a glare before moving on after Glenn to go help him find one. Jeremy arched an inquiring brow to Daryl, who gave a shrug. He took the broken pipe Jeremy offered him.

"He's been through a lot. He's changed. Don' take it personally." Jeremy shook his head as he watched the kid go.

"I'm not. Just sucks. When he was younger, everything used to bounce off of him like he was made of rubber. I hate seeing him like this." Daryl nodded.

"Shit hit the fan and it hit him hard a while back. He hasn' been the same since."

Jeremy sent him a curious look. "What happened?"

"Guys! We need to move - now!" Rick yelled, interrupting their conversation, and Daryl glanced at him.

"Tell ya later."

Jeremy nodded as they took off at a jog for Rick, who was standing by the door with Bob and the rest of them. "What the hell are these people?" Bob asked when they were all gathered, and Daryl shook his head.

"These ain' people."

"So are we just gonna leave them here?" Glenn asked with a backwards glance at the two butchers laying on the ground behind them. Rick was silent for a minute as he glared at them and something seemed to pass through his eyes, then. Jeremy saw it, Daryl, Ethan . . . he was pretty sure everyone did, but no one chose to comment on it. It was a little alarming to see, nonetheless – such a look of cruelty and lack of mercy in a man. But once Jeremy rationalized it to himself by saying that this was a man seeking revenge on the people who hurt those he considered his family, well . . . it made it a lot easier to overlook and forgive.

Hell, he'd hate to see Daryl and Ethan if they arrived at the car to find . . .

He couldn't finish the sentence, even in his own war-torn head.

"Let 'em turn," Rick eventually spoke and they all nodded as they left the room then and moved into another - one where meat hooks lined the ceiling with suspicious chunks of meat hanging from them. Their wide eyes took in everything – the slightly sickly sweet smell that choked the air, the human-esque limbs that dangling from the meat hooks. "You see any of these people, you kill 'em," Rick spoke, his voice taking on a distinctly angry tone that spoke to something in every single one of them. They were all imagining their loves ones on those hooks – dangling there like newly butchered cattle. Jeremy saw the fierce determination in both Daryl and Ethan's eyes, and knew they would get back to the others at all cost. No way in hell those two would let anything happen to Tessa and the others. "Don't hesitate."

They all nodded – as much as they trusted themselves to do, at least, as Rick moved further into the room. He heaved a sigh as he glanced at a hanging torso. "They won't."

The rest of them gathered weapons from this room before continuing on, towards where the shouts of alarm and fear were growing louder. Walkers were starting to congregate around another shipping container, where the shouts were coming from. "If we run, we can make it past them. They're distracted." Rick spoke up, but Glenn shook his head.

"We gotta let those people out, Rick!" Ethan glanced at him. He observed his friend for a moment, before his eyes flickered onto the shipping container.

"I agree with Glenn. We gotta let 'em out." The both of them turned to gaze at Rick then, who was pinning them with his own fierce look. Ethan's face hardened and suddenly, Daryl's hands felt ten times sweatier. "Rick . . . that's still who we are – that's gotta be. Those people," He nodded towards the shipping container. "They ain' done nothin' to us. They ain' Terminus."

Rick continued to gaze at them for a minute before seeming to make up his mind. After a moment, he gave a nod and opened the door, where they all quickly filed out of it and towards the shipping container the walkers were grouped around. Immediately, they sensed them coming and turned to meet them, where the group dispatched them quickly and cleanly. When the walkers were lying dead, was when they finally turned to the faded red shipping container, where all had fallen silent. Chests heaving, pulses pounding in their ears, Glenn was the first to reach it, Ethan hot on his heels. The others were quick to join them, right when Glenn had the door lock undone. It was opened and what charged out at them, was not a herd of walkers, but a half-deranged man who immediately launched himself at Glenn.

Laughing maniacally, they eventually fought him off, only for Rick to shove him away. "Don't you see? We're all the same, man!" He cackled before being cut short by a walker latching ahold of him. Screaming, he was brought to the ground and immediately, Glenn and Ethan made a beeline for him, but Daryl grabbed his son up by the scruff of his shirt and slammed him against the opened container door. Rick hastily grabbed ahold of Glenn and pulled him back, and together, the two men peered around the container Ethan was pinned to, where they watched as the herd of walkers moved on past them.

Ethan avoided his father's eyes as Daryl stepped away from him. "Ya good?" It took a moment, but eventually Ethan swallowed hard and nodded. Daryl gave a nod of his own. "Good. 'Cause ya ain' gonna find Wren, dead, and if ya keep on makin' decisions like that, then ya are, and I'll be damned if I have to bring ya corpse back to ya momma!" He stepped closer, then, where his voice lowered as his hand appeared on his chest. Over his father's shoulder, he could see Jeremy determined to ignore them as he moved over to Bob, and peered around the other side. For some reason, the sight made his teeth grit, however, his father's voice brought him back down into reality. It grounded him. "Ya got good instincts, Ethan, and I know ya sensed there wasn't anythin' good in that container. Next time, go with ya instincts – not follow someone else's," He glanced at Glenn, then. "Ya not a follower, Ethan. So don' be. Next time Glenn comes up with an idiotic plan like that, do ya both a favor and talk him outta it."

After a moment, Ethan looked away and gave another nod before grumbling: "Yes sir."

Daryl continued to gaze at him for a moment before gently slapping him on the cheek, forcing him to bring his eyes back onto his. It was then that he spoke up again. "Hey . . . Ethan, what's wrong with ya?"

Ethan gave a sharp laugh and a roll of his eyes. "Oh, jeez, I don' know, dad – what do you think? I almost got my throat slit and my body made into hamburger, and now we gotta somehow make our way back to the boxcar that has my mother, baby brother and sister and everyone I have ever known in it since this shit began! Again, what do you think?"

Daryl shook his head. "No, tha' ain' all it. We've been separated from 'em before, and never have ya acted like this -!"

"Look, I don't mean to interrupt this touching father/son bonding moment, but I think we gotta double back . . ." Bob spoke up, a hint of nervousness to his tone, and Rick shook his head.

"We double back, we don't know where we are." He turned his eyes onto the two Dixons then. "You two fine?" Daryl nodded as he glanced around the container door, again before glancing at this son.

"Yeah, we're fine. Nothin' we can' settle when we're outta here."

"As for the doubling back, I don't think we have a choice," Jeremy spoke, glancing back at Rick. "I really don't want to take that many walkers toe-to-toe -"

Jeremy came to an abrupt stop when he was interrupted by the sound of gunshots. Walkers began dropping like flies as the gunshots came to them louder, and when they moved to peer around the container this time, it was to see a group of the Termites come marching down the road, automatic weapons in their hands. Jeremy arched a brow. "We could use those . . ." He spoke, and Rick nodded.

"I agree," He glanced over at the man. "Come with me," He looked at Daryl then. "Stay here and wait for my signal. Might need you for backup." They all nodded as Rick and Jeremy kept low to the ground and moved for the parked car not far away from them. They waited as the Termites and their guns moved past them, Jeremy quietly dispatching a lone walker who tried to sneak up on them, before they darted out of their hiding spot.

Grabbing ahold of one and slitting his throat, Rick quickly picked up his gun and swiftly dispatched the others in front of him. Moving quickly, Jeremy picked up two guns and tossed one Rick's way before picking up the others. Moving quickly, they nodded at each other before turning on their heels and returning to the others waiting for them. From down a side alley, more gunshots could be heard, as well as the snarling of walkers and the screams of those being eaten alive. Out of the corner of his eye, Jeremy saw a young woman, tears streaming down her eyes, scream as a walker hungrily tore out her throat, and he shook his head. He had been in countless wars, countless skirmishes, but nothing could ever have prepared him for the sight of people getting ate to death.

"We're gonna have to double back," Rick spoke as they handed the gun out. The others nodded as they took them, quickly checking to make sure they had enough bullets to last them the rest of the way to the cattle car and then out of there. Daryl nodded before turning to look at Ethan, who returned his gaze.

"Let's go get ya momma and tha others."


They had sat there for hours, readying whatever makeshift weapons they could in anticipation of the possibility that the other would not come for them. Tessa refused to believe that they wouldn't – refused to believe that Daryl and Ethan wouldn't find to the bone to get back to them, but the others assured her that it was always good to have a back-up plan, and she reluctantly agreed. Eugene had been telling them about going to DC and hopefully being able to flip the switch on the entire thing – fight fire with fire – when the door to the train car rumbled open, revealing a blood-splattered Rick holding a semi-automatic. Their hearts leapt up into their throats before a wave of relief washed over them. There was the sound of gunfire – of the others fighting off the walkers with their own semi-automatics. Tessa, Maggie, and Michonne shared a grin, never feeling more proud of their boys.

"Come on – we gotta go!" Rick shouted, and they all agreed. Michonne and Maggie stuck close to Tessa and Evan who were holding onto one of the twins, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sam take up the rear. Her eyes met Daryl's and a flood of relief entered his eyes before he darted over to them, readily taking Maggie's place. Ethan did the same and took Sam's.

"Ya'll okay?" He asked, breathlessly, as he ran a worried gaze over her before doing the same with his twins. Tessa gave him a smile and a nod.

"We're fine. Now let's get out of this hellhole, okay?"

Daryl nodded as he and Ethan hefted their guns. Sticking close together (partly out of fear that they'd lose each other again) the group made a beeline for a low scooping part of the fence that looked easy to scramble over and to relative safety. They dispatched every walker that had the misfortune to wander over to them, thinking they'd be easy prey. Tessa ran, Danny's face shoved into her shoulder as Evan and Ethan ran alongside her, Evan doing the same with Aayla. Ethan made sure to cover them as Daryl did the same on the other side, Michonne taking the head. Rick was somewhere off to the right, as was Sam, Maggie and Glenn on the left. They didn't know where the others had gotten off to – Sasha and Bob and Jeremy and the others – but they assumed they were alright due to the constant sounds of rapid fire splitting through the cacophony that surrounded them.

"Hey! Hey, guys – over here!" Maggie shouted while waving her arms. She was standing on an earthen incline in front of the sagging fence, Bob and Sasha and Sam behind her. They nodded and Tessa felt Daryl's hand ghosting along the small of her back as he urged her and Evan to go first. Rick and the others quickly took up the rear and covered them as they reached the fence.

"Here, gimme her, then get over - quickly!" Daryl spoke quickly to Evan, referring to his daughter in her arms. She nodded and handed her to him before Jeremy quickly helped her over the tarp covering the barbed wire. Daryl nodded to Tessa then. "Get on over and we'll hand ya tha twins." He told her, and she nodded before handing Danny over to Maggie. Jeremy helped her over to before helping Maggie and Danny over. Daryl and Aayla were next and then Ethan. When they all made it over safe, to where it was only Jeremy and Rick still standing within the bounds of Terminus, was when Jeremy called for Rick to hurry up and make his way over the fence.

When they were all over the fence and running for the relative coverage of the woods, was when they stopped, only once, and turned around, just to watch for a moment as Terminus burned.


They had been walking through the woods for God only knew how long, before finally reaching the place they had buried the guns. After throwing Rick something to help him dig out the bag, Daryl sunk to his knees beside the former Sheriff. As he began digging, Abraham's voice split through the silence as he made his way to the front.

"What the hell are we still here for?" He asked, and Rick wasted no time in replying to him.

"Guns and some supplies. We need to go on the offensive – use the rifles and take out the rest of them."

"What?"

It had been the first time Bob spoke up against one of Rick's orders, and he paused long enough to return Bob's gaze. "After that, they don't get to live."

There was silence for a moment before Glenn's voice broke it. "Rick . . . Rick, we got out of there. I don't know how, but we did. It's over. Let's just move on."

Tessa swallowed hard and shifted Danny onto a more comfortable position on her hip. Evan did the same. "Rick . . . Rick, please."

"It's not over till they're all dead," He spoke, ignoring Tessa's quiet plea. For a moment, their gazes crossed and held, but still, he ignored her. It was Rosita who spoke next, from her place beside Jeremy.

"The hell it isn't! That place is on fire and full of walkers!"

Abraham nodded in agreement. "I ain't dickin' around with this plan. We just made it out. No way in hell am I going back in there to finish something that's already been finished."

It was Maggie who sent him a pleading look next, as she moved to stand beside Tessa. "The fences are down, Rick. They will either run, or die."

Another silence fell heavy around the group, and it took a while to notice the figure that seemed to melt out of the trees behind them. Tessa saw her first, and immediately, she felt tears appear in her eyes as she took in Carol's smiling face. The older woman's eyes softened when they crossed paths with Tessa, and it was then that people started to realize that she was standing there.

"Carol!" Tessa breathed, in shock, and Daryl couldn't help but turn around and watch, as dumbstruck as the rest of the group, as Carol immediately dropped Daryl's crossbow and held out her arms when Tessa took off at a run for her after handing Danny off to Maggie. Sweeping her up in a tight hug, the two women stood there in that same tight embrace, tears building in both their eyes.

"Oh God Carol, I was so scared!" Tessa breathed, wanting so badly to break out into sobs. Carol nodded, feeling the harsh build-up of tears in her eyes, as well.

"I know, sweetie, I know. But I'm back now, and you'll be fine - I promise! I'll take care of you, just like I did with the twins!"

Tessa gave a tearful laugh then as they finally separated. They both laughed again as they stood there and observed each other for a moment. Finally, Carol gave a wry smile – her fingers worrying at a lock of her hair that had managed to fall out of the clip she had pinned her hair up with. "Your hair's gotten longer . . ." She spoke, and Tessa shook her head.

"Haven't noticed. Been too scared."

Carol nodded, a small smile on her face and a soft look in her eyes. "You don't have to be anymore, sweetie," She assured her. "'Cause I'm here now."

Tessa continued to grin as she stepped aside, allowing Carol to wrap up a teary-eyed Ethan into her arms. They hugged tightly, and when they were done, she and Daryl shared a smile as Maggie and the others quickly stepped forward. She grinned and fawned over how big the twins had gotten – scolded Daryl for allowing his hair to get that long and bedraggled, and to Rick for the same thing. She looked sufficiently sorrowful when Ethan told her what had happened to Wren, and took him into another tight hug that did more than a simple Band-Aid ever could have.

"Did you do that?" Rick asked, and Carol gave him a tearful smile before nodding. Rick smiled as well, and it was the first smile that they had seen on his face in a long time as he hugged her. They were all happy to see her – all were happy being together again – the family they had managed to forge when they had no other. When they broke apart, she looked him dead in the eyes and told him that he had to come with her. He nodded and they all took off after her, towards the cottage in the woods that she had left Judith in with Tyrese. The tall man stepped out of the cottage with Judith in his arms as they approached, and Rick, in all the emotion of seeing his daughter again, practically would have collapsed to the road, had Michonne not been there to keep him upright. Tears flooded his eyes, and Carl's, and for a moment, they stood there, wondering if what they were seeing was real or just a cruel figment of their imaginations. Then, they were running, Sasha after them, and when they reached Tyrese, they held the baby as close to them as they can, as a crying Sasha fell into her brother's arms.

In fact, she was pretty sure everyone was feeling emotional upon seeing a man and his son reconnected with the daughter and sister they had thought they lost. Tessa felt Daryl wrap his arm around her waist, bringing her and Danny into him, while the other wrapped around Ethan's shoulders, bringing him and Aayla into his side, as well. They weren't going to pretend that the hardships were over – cause they weren't – not by a long shot! But they were just one step closer for all of them being together again, and for a moment – for a day or two at the most – that was more than enough for them.