Die For You

Previously…

My breath caught. It had only been three days since He killed Abraham and Glenn. That was a ridiculous time table. I guess Negan was still trying to prove a point. "Hell of a short week." I scoffed, setting down my fork.

"Awww, Rick can handle it. 'Sides y'all have been accumulating shit for quite awhile now. No harm no foul, eh?" He smirked, refilling my glass.

I sighed, biting my lip to keep from saying anything I would regret. "Alright." I relented. I could talk about Alexandria, and having Daryl here was even more poignant. It would be nice to remind him what we had to fight for.

Chapter 7

Alexandria

Deanna held us a welcome party at her home, in hopes of integrating us further into the community. I had a hard time with social functions before the world went to shit. I knew I definitely wasn't going to be able to handle this. Not alone, anyway.

Daryl, Aaron and I had returned after we'd run into each other outside the walls. Daryl and I had gone out to hunt, seems Aaron had a similar idea. He'd come out to hunt rabbits. After a short confrontation, we teamed up. We were unable to save Buttons, a wild horse that Aaron had been trying to catch, which weighed heavy on my conscience.

"You coming tonight?" Rick asked as soon as I'd shut the front door behind us. He looked quite dapper, wearing a soft white collared shirt and holding baby Judith.

I felt the knot that had begun to form in my stomach at the mention of the social gathering pull a notch tighter. I glanced sideways at Daryl. He didn't look too keen on a party either. "Uh, I think I'm gonna grab a shower, then maybe." I shrugged. Rick just nodded. He knew I wasn't good at socializing. I was better than Daryl, but just barely. My idea of a good time was a six pack, some classic rock and target practice.

After losing Beth, Daryl tried his damndest to push me away. I knew he was just afraid of losing me too. His old outbursts and nasty mouth reared their ugly head any time I got close. Carol encouraged me to not let him pull away, even pulling him aside herself a few times. By the time we found Alexandria, he'd at least tolerated my presence again. The few days leading up to the terrible storm at the barn, we'd split off from the group and search for water. The first few times I'd take one side of the road, and he'd take the other. After we'd dealt with a small herd of walkers trailing the group, he'd grabbed my upper arm to get me to follow him into the woods the next time instead of splitting off separately.

The night of the storm, we all banded together to hold the barn door shut first against the walkers, then the roaring wind. Daryl shoved me behind him when the wind was at its height, using his body to shield me against the pelting rain. I stood my ground, planting my boots and wrapping my arms around his waist to give him support. When the wind subsided, everyone laid down to get some rest, everyone except Daryl. He was always putting everyone else before himself.

Then we came to Alexandria. It sort of felt like we'd stumbled upon the Promised Land. When we first arrived, we stayed all together in one of the two houses they offered us. We all slept in the living room together, not bothering to venture upstairs to the bedrooms. I helped everyone else get settled; finding blankets and pillows, making up a bed for Carl and setting up a crib for baby Judith. When it came time for sleep, I realized I hadn't made my own bed. I surveyed the room finding the only spot left was next to Daryl's. I trudged up the steps again to the hall closet praying there were still blankets left when I heard the bathroom door squeak open.

Daryl emerged freshly showered, long hair still dripping wet, with just a towel around his waist. He had his crossbow at the ready.

"Just me, Ace." I murmured, hands out of my sides in a mini surrender gesture.

He grunted and put the crossbow down. "Sorry." He drawled.

"It's fine." I shrugged, giving him a small smile. I turned away from him to the hall closet. Eureka. There were two blankets left. With the pillow I'd swiped from the couch, this would have to do. I moved some sheets over and wrestled the blankets from the closet. I set the sheets back and closed the door. I turned to find Daryl in the hall again, this time he was dressed in relatively clean jeans and a gently used wifebeater, showing off those sinful arms. "Feel better?" I quipped. He grunted. I brushed past him, back down the steps and began setting up my bed. Rick was still awake, sitting at the front window, washed in moonlight. He nodded to me across the room of peacefully sleeping people and my breath caught. This was the first time in a long time when we'd been this safe, this cared for. I felt a little bubble of pride well up in my chest at Rick's acknowledgement. I knew he wasn't just saying hello, he was saying thank you. We were all still on high alert, but we'd at least been able to get clean and some hot food in us.

After spreading out my blankets I toed off my boots and undid my weapons belt. I laid the belt at my feet and sat down on the blankets for a moment, staring out the window. I rolled my neck, fingers kneading where it met my right shoulder. Rough, calloused fingers replaced mine, causing me to jump a little. "Warn a girl, Ace." I murmured, glancing back over my shoulder at him, eyes shining. He hadn't reached out to touch me like this since Beth died.

"That rifle givin' ya trouble?" He murmured, smoothing his thumbs along my shoulder.

"Think it's how I slept last night." I murmured back. "Carrying the damn thing all day made it worse." I'd started carrying an assault rifle fitted with a silencer after the prison for added protection.

"Hmmm." He grunted, releasing my shoulder. I turned to face him, my hand shooting up to brush his hair out of his eyes, so I could look into them.

"Thank you." I whispered before leaning in and kissing his cheek. He'd even shaved, his cheek was smooth beneath my lips. I moved to pull back, but Daryl's hand on my waist stopped me. I was keenly aware that Rick was awake, across the room, probably watching us. He slowly folded his arms around me, pulling me in for a hug, my face buried in his neck. I didn't realize I was crying until his rough fingers smoothed away my tears. I was sure it was out of relief that we were here and not still out there. We were almost out there too long. Part of me wondered if that was just what we told ourselves, and we were actually out there too long.

"Easy," He murmured in my ear, "I got ya." He didn't even tease me or push me away. After a few moments, he lay back, pulling me with him. He reached over and pulled my blankets over us, my head pillowed on his chest.

That was a turning point for us. I'd remember that night for the rest of my life. I wondered if he was overwhelmed by being somewhere so foreign, that was why he'd let me in. I was safe, wasn't going to chide him for not being as smooth and pristine as our surroundings. Hell, I'd never stayed in a hotel this nice, let alone a house. That's what made us such a good team, we knew we could trust each other. I would have laughed if you told me that when the world fell apart my best friend would be the likes of Daryl Dixon. I still chuckle a little at the thought.

Now we were tasked with the simple job of attending a welcome party. I stared at the dress Deanna dropped off earlier. She'd given one to each of us girls, saying, 'it's just an option, no pressure'. Mine was a deep blue, not quite navy, and the neckline generously revealed my collarbone. If Deanna was hoping to get me laid, this dress was definitely a step in the right direction.

Against my better judgement, I'd showered and pulled on the dress. I even stowed my knives, strapping a single blade to my thigh instead of carrying my usual belt full. I was currently swiping on some pale pink lip gloss when movement at the bedroom door stopped me.

"The hell?" Daryl scoffed, darkening the bedroom door. I'd moved our packs upstairs as people started spreading out. I didn't want to lose out on a chance of privacy, not when we were just starting to come back together again.

"Everyone started spreading out, so I claimed a bedroom." I explained, swiping away some extra color from the edge of my lip."I thought we'd be more comfortable up here than downstairs on the floor." I closed the tube of lip gloss and turned to look at him. The look on his face told me that he wasn't talking about the new rooming arrangements. He was talking about the dress. "Oh," I looked down at myself, feeling my cheeks heat. "It's for the party. Do you like it?" I asked, smoothing my hands down the front of the skirt. Daryl had looked at me like I was a stranger or like I wasn't real. I looked back up. "Daryl?" He was gone. Well, shit. I thought. I hadn't thought that seeing me in a party dress would affect him so much. I guess things weren't that different between us after all.

I padded down the hall to return the lip gloss to the bathroom and retrieve the somewhat ironically matching blue collared shirt I'd hung up so it would de-wrinkle while I took my shower. When I returned to the bedroom, Daryl was back. I held the shirt out to him. "In case you decide to go." He took it with a nod. I turned away from him and he awkwardly grabbed my wrist.

"Ya look good, Roz." He drawled stiffly, his voice rougher than usual.

I smiled, "Thank you, Daryl." a soft blush crept up my neck and I threaded my fingers with his. "I didn't mean to startle you."

He scoffed, eyes carefully meeting mine through his hair. "Didn't recognize ya a' first."

It was my turn to laugh. "How do you think I feel?" I bit my lip. "Been surviving in the woods for months, haven't had proper running water since this whole shitstorm started. Even then it was a shithole prison." I sighed. "Plus, I haven't worn a dress in years." I turned to look the mirror.

"Imma grab a shower." Daryl murmured, squeezing my fingers before releasing them.

"Whoa, two showers in one week!" I exclaimed teasingly, "Wait until I tell Carol." I brushed my fingers through my hair preparing to braid it. I started plaiting, but Daryl clearing his throat in the doorway stilled my efforts.

I locked eyes with him in the mirror for a moment. "Leave it down." He grunted. Then he was gone. I frowned at the mirror good naturedly. He may not speak in full sentences, but at least he told me what he wanted for once.

I busied myself with washing Daryl's vest while he showered. The laundry was on the first floor and in the hall closet, nice and convenient. I didn't wash the vest in the washer, I was afraid the worn angel wings would crumble. So I used a little elbow grease and scrubbed the leather with soap and water and a soft upholstery brush I'd found. I donned an apron to keep my dress dry and set to work. The result was amazing. The leather cleaned up really nice and the patch looked significantly cleaner after some scrubbing. The vest was still a little damp when I returned to the bedroom.

Daryl stood in front of the full length mirror, freshly showered, buttoning his shirt. Once he was finished, I held up the vest for him to slip on. "It's still a little damp." I warned him as he settled it in place.

He turned a little to look at the back. "Thanks." He murmured, locking eyes with me in the mirror for a second. I nodded, reaching up to smooth his collar. I fluffed his hair playfully, earning a slight smirk. "Ya ready?" He asked, chewing the inside of his cheek.

I took a deep breath, glancing at the mirror one last time. "As I'll ever be, Ace."

We arrived at the party just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Daryl offered me his arm as we approached the door. I took it gratefully. He knocked and the door swung open to reveal Spencer, Deanna's eldest son.

"Welcome," He smiled warmly. "Daryl, and Rosalind, right?" Daryl nodded, glancing impatiently over Spencer's shoulder. "Well, come on in." He motioned for us to enter.

Deanna appeared next. "Oh, I'm so glad you two made it!" She exclaimed, clasping my free hand in between her own. "You look lovely." She gushed, "Both of you." She leaned into me, "Thanks for bringing Mr. Dixon." She murmured with a wink and mischievous grin. Little did she know I wouldn't have come without him, so really, he brought me. I decided to play along for her sake. I chuckled and shrugged, playing the part of the socially adept girlfriend. I felt Daryl stiffen next to me. He knew I was faking it.

Deanna grinned, "Why don't you come in? Grab a drink, get something to eat." She led us to the kitchen where Glenn, Maggie, Abraham and Rosita all were.

"Thank you." I murmured, following after her, Daryl tucked in close to me. Everyone looked a little shocked to see us. Maybe not so much me, they mostly seemed surprised to see Daryl. I pressed a beer into his hand, twisting off the top. I twisted the top off my own and took a long pull. I glanced around at our little group. Rick locked eyes with me from across the room. He raised his glass in acknowledgement. I returned the gesture, taking another pull from the bottle. This was going to be a long ass night if I had to stand here and make small talk about cookies, doilies and playhouse shit.

We lasted all of fifteen minutes. Daryl checked the clock on the wall for the upteenth time since we walked in and I was definitely done mingling with the locals. "Get me outta here." I murmured in his ear, trying to be discrete.

"Smoke?" Daryl suggested, showing me the pack of cigarettes tucked inside his vest. Bingo. I knew there was a reason I liked him so damn much.

"We're gonna head out for a smoke break, anyone else?" I announced, setting down my now empty beer bottle. Everyone half heartedly shrugged and gave us tight smiles. Suckers.

Sanctuary

The door to Negan's private chambers opened and Dwight stepped inside. He was carrying a tray containing what looked like sinful chocolate cake. Oh baby. I had chocolate when we first arrived at Alexandria. It was a pretty rare find when we were on the road, I was amazed they had it. I found myself less surprised that the Saviors had it. Probably had a whole room full of it, the bastards.

"Thanks, D." Negan nodded as Dwight set out the cake and cleared away our finished plates. "Please take dear Daryl here back to his cell."

"I wasn't done with the story yet." I protested, covering Daryl's hand with my own.

Negan bit his lip and sighed. "Oh, I know sweet cheeks." He nodded to me. "I'll let you say goodbye."

Dwight hauled Daryl up by the collar of his sweatshirt. I stood up shakily from the table. I turned to Daryl and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. He didn't react. I didn't expect him to, but my heart still broke at how damaged he'd become. Negan cleared his throat and I stepped back, allowing Dwight to force Daryl from the room. The door shut and we were alone again.

Negan motioned for me to sit down again. "Just wanted to give him a taste, not the whole meal, darlin'." He explained with a wolfish grin. "Now, where were we?"

I heaved a sigh and stared down at the plate before me for a moment. My mind was a freaking mess. "Why?" I asked aloud. I hadn't meant to, I was having trouble keeping my head after seeing Daryl like that. I knew that was what Negan wanted. Maybe he wasn't only after Daryl's submission. Maybe he was really trying to break me, but in a more subtle way.

"Hmmm." Negan hummed, leaning back in his chair. "Because I save people, Roz." He smirked. "You and Daryl would make wonderful additions to our group. You've gotta see that, am I right?"

I bit my lip. He was right. Having a man like Daryl by his side, he would be unstoppable. If I got on board too, he'd have another medic, plus another loyal soldier in his ranks. "Maybe." I shrugged, trying to remain aloof. I didn't want him to see I was shattering beneath the weight of our current situation.

Negan barked a laugh. "Of course you do." He sighed, "You're a smart woman. Capable of more than just fixing boo boos and giving out medication." He winked. "You're definitely just as important of an asset as Daryl, maybe more important."

"How so?" I decided to keep him talking. Maybe I'd get more insight as to why he was holding me prisoner without demanding my compliance outright.

Negan studied me for a moment. "You care." He murmured. "You don't just think of yourself, hell, I don't think you have a selfish bone in that hot little body of yours." He chuckled darkly. "I'm sure Rick knows that, which is why he was just as distraught about Daryl being taken as he was about you surrendering."

"You'd just killed two of our family members. I think he was more distraught about that then me stupidly surrendering my ass." I scoffed, taking a sip of wine.

Negan chuckled. "Yeah, you surrendering was definitely surprising. Stupid? Nah."

"And why not?" I asked cheekily, hiding behind my wine glass.

"You love him." He shrugged. "Love isn't stupid. Especially nowadays." He murmured, a wistful smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "Never know how much time you got left." He shook his head a little, "Hmmm. Wanna finish the story?"

I pursed my lips. "Sure." I smiled, shaking off the emotional baggage of having dinner with Negan with Daryl present. "Let's see," I sighed. "Where was I?"

"Smoke break." Negan reminded me, taking a bite of the chocolate cake. "Mmmm." He groaned, "You gotta try this Roz. We got a gal who was a pastry chef before all this. She's brilliant."

I gazed down at the plate before me. It did look good. I took a deep breath and picked up my fork. The cake was moist, definitely tastier than I expected. It tasted like a professional had made it. I could even make out notes of espresso in the chocolate. "Mmmm." I echoed his sentiment. "This is sinful." I swallowed. I set down my fork and took a sip of wine. "Alright, smoke break…."

Alexandria

"Oh, that was painful." I groaned once the door shut behind us, kicking off my heels. I clomped unceremoniously down the steps. "If I never wear heels again, it will be too soon."

Daryl chuckled and shook his head, watching me pick my way back down the street to our house.

Suddenly the house on our right lit up. "Daryl! Roz!" Aaron called from the front porch. "Hey."

"Thought you were going to that party, over there." Daryl motioned to Deanna's house.

"Oh," Aaron grinned sheepishly, "I was never going to go because of Eric's ankle, thank God." He snorted softly. Lucky bastard.

"Why the hell you tell us to go then?" Daryl demanded, shifting his weight.

Aaron stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I said try," He smirked, "You did, it's the thought that counts, right?" He smiled awkwardly.

"A'right." Daryl murmured, turning to go.

"Hey, come in." Aaron suggested, stepping forward. "Have some dinner." Daryl and I exchanged a look. "C'mon you guys, it's some pretty serious spaghetti." With that he turned and went back inside, leaving the door open.

I frowned good naturedly and shrugged. Daryl scoffed. "C'mon." I urged, playfully knocking our elbows together. I slipped back on my heels and he followed me up the steps. Once we were inside, I shut the door behind us.

Dearest Readers,

I wrote the Alexandria flashback in its entirety in one afternoon. I love how it flowed, and was a little apprehensive about breaking it up. I think it works well with the interruptions, getting Negan's thoughts about Roz's surrender was fun. I'm also pushing forward towards getting us up to where Daryl escapes the Sanctuary. Up next will be the conclusion of Alexandria and a visit to the community itself.

Thank you for your continued encouragement and support.

xoxo

Lumora The White