Chapter 15

Several years later…

Daryl knew he was going to die.

He had already accepted that over the last few hours. Throughout the years that he had been with Rick, there had been countless close calls and last minute saves since the apocalypse happened, but this was different and he knew it. It was also all his fucking fault. He didn't mind dying, he really didn't, but what bothered him the most was that Glenn, Michonne and Rosita were going to die too and there was absolutely no one to blame but him. When they died, it would be the same as if he had sent a bolt directly through their hearts.

He would never intentionally kill any of his friends, but it still came down to one fact…they were here because of him. To him it was the same. His fault either way.

They were all part of this unique family that they had created when they all had nothing else but each other. Whether or not one of them needed or wanted help, the others were always there to back them up. It was simply what they did. Daryl had been so determined to find Dwight, that even when they all knew it was a bad idea they still followed him. Would any of the other's ever know what happened to them? How would Maggie handle losing her husband and with a baby on the way?

Daryl knew better than to go off halfcocked trying to find Dwight after he killed Denise, but he did it anyway. Her death was his fault too and it was eating him up inside. Dwight had been aiming at him, but since his aim with Daryl's stolen crossbow sucked, he hit Denise with the bolt instead and now she was dead.

He was responsible for too many of his friends dying, so while he sat bleeding in that dark van he figured he was better off dead to save the rest of them. He would sacrifice himself for the greater good of the group.

The van they were locked in was dank and cold. His right shoulder throbbed non-stop from the bullet wound where Dwight had shot him. That was another stupid mistake he made. He was an expert tracker and hunter and that the prick was able to get a jump on him showed how off his game he really was.

Daryl tried to shift to a more comfortable position, but it only made his head spin. The bullet hadn't gone completely through his shoulder and was still lodged inside. He had lost a lot of blood, in fact his shirt was covered in it and the wound was still slowly bleeding. Michonne had dressed it the best she could and forced him to drink some water that they found in the van. He needed to replace some of the fluids he was losing, but it didn't help much. He was in a pretty bad state, but that wasn't what was going to kill him. At least not just yet.

He laid his head back against the wall of the old van and closed his eyes. How his life had changed these past few years. He had lived a miserable existence for most of his life until he met his Emma. She had completely changed him and all for the better. She had showed him what love was and he drank it up like a man dying of thirst. He had been a man who had never experienced love, not from his worthless family or ever from a woman. Emma had changed all that. She had been the light of his life.

The light was long gone. Daryl never forgave himself for not finding her the day all hell broke loose in the world. He searched all over for her with countless trips back and forth between home and the diner where she worked. He had even tried the bar that she had quit months before and anyplace he could think of, but she was nowhere to be found. Merle had to drag him away from the trailer park as the area was overrun by the dead. Her kiss good-bye the day before was all he had left of her. If he hadn't gone off to help his fuckin' brother the previous day he would have been around to make sure she was with him when they literally had to run for their lives.

He was never the same man since then. Daryl had become an angry, confrontational loner. He had mellowed a bit over the years, but he never let anyone that close again. Rick and the group were almost like family to him, but that had taken a real long time for that to happen and he still kept himself a bit apart from them. He never got involved with another woman after Emma, he never wanted to. It hurt too much losing her and he wasn't going to go through that again.

Suddenly there was the sound of many voices outside the van and Daryl and the others waited anxiously to see what was going to happen. If he had to he would sacrifice himself to save the other three, he would. Glenn had Maggie to go home to, plus they were expecting, Michonne was involved with Rick and Rosita, well she was a female. While she was a tough one, he would die before he let anything happen to her.

The door was flung open and cool night air penetrated the van. Daryl, Glenn, Michonne and Rosita were all dragged from the vehicle and to their astonishment they saw the rest of their group there too, all on their knees with hands behind their backs. Michonne and Daryl quickly shared a quick 'what the hell is going on look.'

Daryl stumbled out of the van as he could barely stand up. His head was spinning and his legs were ready to give out from under him, but he used every ounce of strength he had not to collapse on the ground. His rebellious eyes took in everything around him. They were surrounded by at least a hundred people, probably more. Rick and everyone were kneeling in front of a large man that held a baseball bat with barbed wire wrapped around it. That was certainly fucked up he thought. Daryl caught Rick's eyes and it surprised him the fear he saw in them. Rick wasn't afraid of anything. Fuck.

The remaining four were also told to get on their knees next to the rest of their group. Glenn looked panicked at the sight of an obviously sick Maggie kneeling next to Rick. The big guy with the bat started talking again. Apparently he was Negan, the guy they had been looking to take out. Daryl instantly knew they had underestimated him and the Saviors. Just another screw up that he was responsible for.

He was the one that had suggested to Jesus that they could take out the Saviors for the Hilltop Community so in return they would supply them with the food they needed in Alexandria. He and Rick were overconfident and that just fucked them…big time.

Daryl's eyes were hard and cold as he watched Negan as he strutted back and forth before everyone talking non-stop. He wasn't going to let this asshole or any of his people know that he was desperately afraid for everyone, except himself. He wasn't able to catch all of the words the pompous ass was saying as he struggled to stay conscious. He was trying to look stronger than he actually felt.

Daryl tried to concentrate on what Negan was saying, but it was hard. He was repeating some stupid kids rhyme and pointing the bat at each one of them. Daryl had missed what was going on. Damn.

Suddenly Negan stopped and slammed the bat down on Abraham...and again and again. Daryl was shocked as he looked at the bloody mess that was left of Abraham's head. It was virtually gone. His stomach rolled as he saw the gore that was left. The girls were all crying, even Michonne.

He didn't mean for Abraham to die! If he knew what was going on, he would have volunteered. He just couldn't concentrate on what Negan had been saying as he tried not to pass out. It was just another thing he failed at. He couldn't even get dying right.

.


.

A woman joined the many Saviors watching Negan show off his power to this new group of people. She had seen it countless times before and it turned her stomach every single time. Rarely did she watch the ceremony as the deaths were always too gruesome for her.

In a time where they are constantly surrounded by death, even this was too much. The living taking the life of another living being was wrong. The war should be against the dead, but she had learned to keep her opinions to herself in order to survive.

She had become part of Negan's group a while ago. She had no idea if it was months or even a year. Time meant nothing anymore. She and a few others had been absorbed into the Saviors and it was both a blessing and a curse. She hated the brutality of her existence in the time after she lost everything because the dead were no longer dead.

At least with the Saviors she no longer had to worry about being raped…again. That had happened to her before as people lost any of values or morals they once had. Negan didn't allow that and for that reason alone, being with them was a blessing.

For most of her adult life she had been an easy going, happy person. Now she simply survived. It was the best she could hope for and so far she had been able to not get involved with any of the men, even though they actively pursued her. She did her job around their encampment and tried to stay in the background as much as possible. The last thing she wanted was to draw Negan's attention to her. His harem of wives was well known and she did not want to be added to that group or she would never be able to get out.

She had been drawn to the circle feeling tonight something was different. She found herself observing this new group that Negan was dealing with. She peaked though the crowd and saw them from behind on their knees. Their posture was slumped and defeated. There looked to be about ten of them left. She could see the body of person laid out on the ground. Negan had made his bloody point already and she was grateful that she missed that.

Quietly she moved around the people watching, until she was able to see most of their faces. It was a combination of women, men and a teenage boy. There was one figure that she couldn't see. The man had a blanket over his shoulders and was partway slumped over in pain. She could see the blood that covered the front of his shirt. His longish hair obscured his face, but there was something about him that drew her to him. She felt her palms start to sweat as he shook his head to clear the hair from his defiant eyes. He was older, but she recognized him in an instant. It was Daryl.

Emma had thought he was long dead along with everyone else that she knew. She could tell than he was badly hurt and her first thought was to run to him and cradle him in her arms, but she couldn't. He was the love of her life that vanished the day she lost everything. The day chaos overflowed and took everyone and their lives with it. No one was ever the same after the dead rose up.

In the confusion of that day she could never find him. She lost her car keys so she wasn't able to drive back to the trailer to look for him. Daryl had gone off reluctantly with his brother to do something that kept them away overnight. It was the first time they had been really apart since they became a couple and she never saw him again.

Until now.

She tried not to blame him, for what she had gone through these past few years, but he had told her he would always take care of her and protect her, and he didn't. If he hadn't gone off with Merle maybe things would be different. She was different now anyway. Gone was the old Emma, this new version of Emma was less emotional, and much more cautious then she had ever been before. Emma also tried to stay clear of all men. She didn't trust them for a second, because every time she did or she let her guard down she was abused one way or another.

Even though she wasn't sure that Daryl would welcome her, she had to find a way to get to him and that was going to be hard. Negan had already made his point to the group on who was in control. She doubted there would be any more deaths that night. In fact, it was coming up on sunrise so Negan would be sending the group back to their home to do his bidding soon.

Emma took her eyes off the wounded Daryl for a moment and followed Negan as he told the group his conditions. He wanted half of everything they had - food, weapons and everything else. "You got that Rick?" Negan laughed. "Half of everything!"

Negan turned and for a moment his back was to the weaklings he had kneeling before him like subjects before their king. He smiled at everyone that stood on the outskirts of the circle watching him subdue another group to do his bidding. He loved the power he had. His eye caught something and he looked back. How had he missed her? He saw a beautiful woman watching him and her green eyes captivated him.

When Emma saw that Negan was smiling directly at her, she knew she had just made a huge mistake. The last thing she wanted to do get his attention and she just did. He winked at he and she reluctantly smiled back. She had gotten good at hiding from men and him, until now. There was no way she was ever going to let one near her again. As soon as he turned his back to her, she slipped through the crowd back to her sleeping area. There she gathered the small pack she had with minimal supplies and headed for the road that she knew Daryl's group would have to take to get out of there. She would have to get them to stop for her somehow. Her best chance was that Daryl would see her, but with as injured as he was, that may not happen.

As Emma snuck out of the camp she passed a pile of empty cardboard boxes and got an idea. She ran back to where her friend Sharon lived and rummaged through her belongings until her found what she needed. Then as quietly and unobtrusively as she could she snuck out of camp for what she hoped was the very last time.


A/N - New Time, New Dimension, New World. As you can tell this takes place right at the end of Season 6. I must have written that chapter over ten times. I 100% believe that is going on in Daryl's head while they are in the van and kneeling before Negan.

I hope everyone will like where this is headed. Thank you for everyone that is reading Suddenly...GONE. I love all of the comments/reviews. Keep them coming! Thanks to imlovinfanfic, Miss October 13, WalkingAddiction, snowflake2410 and AnonymousReader42.

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Walker Witch