Fear the Dead, Fight the Living
Since we left the Kingdom, Daryl would make us stop every 3 miles to rest even though I told him I was fine, "You know if you keep making me rest we'll get there by next week" I joked with him as he put his bag down handing me some water
"Just don't want you pushing yourself" He says
"I know sweetie, but I'm ok, I promise" I told him and took a drink of water then poured some in my hand and put it on the back of my neck then I see Daryl look at me, "What?" I asked with a smile.
"Nothin', just can't stop looking at you" He said and I walked over to him
"And why is that Mr. Dixon?" I asked and he pulled me against him
"Because I have a beautiful, strong, amazing, sexy wife who I would do anything for"
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, "And I have a husband who is all those things too"
"You think I'm beautiful?" He asked me putting his hands on my hips and I giggled
"Mmm more like handsome, strong, hot as hell," I tell him and he moved his face closer to mine, "And even though we've been together for so long you still.." I got cut off when he started to kiss my neck, "...you still take my breath away" I said and closed my eyes leaning my head back but then we hear snarling and saw a few walkers coming towards us. We moved apart and he grabbed his crossbow and I got my knife. He shot one and I killed the one that was coming towards me then another one, we see more coming, to many for us to fight with it being just the two of us so we grabbed our stuff and ran. We reached a part of the woods where we saw more of them but I pointed him to a cabin and we ran to it. We looked inside seeing the coast was clear, I picked up a rock and threw it in the direction the walkers were going seeing a few wonder away and got their attention then they continued moving on.
I leaned against the door catching my breath and Daryl moved to me and lifted me up, "Daryl!" I quietly squealed as he carried me over to a table that was near us setting me down on it. He then proceeded to kiss me then trailed his lips down my neck lightly biting on it, I put my fingers in his hair and moaned when he ran his hands up my sides under my shirt squeezing my breasts then took my shirt off. I put my hands on his shirt unbuttoning it then took it off him as well. he laid me down hovering over me for a few minutes kissing me then trailed his mouth from my next to my collar bone, my breasts taking his time there then down my body while undoing my pants pulling them off me over my shoes. Then I was taken by surprise when he kissed the inside of my thighs while tracing circles with his finger over my center, "Why do you have to tease me?" I asked him hearing him chuckle
"Cause it's fun" He says and lightly bit the inside of my thigh causing me to moan then next thing I knew he moved his mouth to my center and started to attack it then pushed a couple fingers inside me
"Oh god Daryl" I moaned as he continued and I tightened the grip in his hair biting my lip so I didn't scream but then he put another finger in and I quietly screamed as he moved them in and out. I bucked my hips against him as an orgasm hit and I moved my one hand fro his hair and put it over my mouth moaning. He stood up and undid his pants pushing them down and I looked at him, I meant what I said to him, I do have a sexy as hell husband. He leaned down and kissed me then pulled my hips towards me then pushed into him and I moaned into his mouth then he straightened up while continuing to pound into me and I reached my hands above me gripping the table while looking at him.
"Oh Pheebs" He moaned and I wrapped my legs around him, and he ran his hands up my body and squeezed my breast again picking up the pace
"Oh Daryl!" I quietly moaned closing my eyes and I feel him lean down to me again and kissed my neck biting it
"Phoebe, my Phoebe. Finish for me" He growled in my ear lightly biting it and I got sent over the edge.
"Ohhh!" I moaned and he pounded into me a few more times then grunted finishing as well. We stayed there looking at each other and I kissed him, "I love you"
"I love you too, more then you know."
We got dressed, saw the walkers were gone despite what we just did then finished our journey to the Hilltop finally making it there.
Over the next few days we started training people, Sasha trained them on how to use a knife, I trained them on how to shoot, and Jesus trained them on hand to hand combat. Me and Enid both stood in the medical trailer with Maggie as Dr. Carson checked on the baby and we saw him/her on the screen, I was holding Maggie's hand and I smiled at her, the baby really was strong like it's parents, then the next day I got checked out with Daryl holding my hand, our baby was doing great too, I looked and smiled at Daryl who kissed me then back at the screen. Daryl avoided Maggie, because he still feels guilty for what happened to Glenn, I looked out the trailer when Maggie went out to the little grill they had to get more food, she walked over and set a plate down next to Daryl who didn't even look at her, I saw her walk back and stopped while wiping tears away and I sighed. He didn't need to feel guilty, it wasn't his fault.
I sat next to Daryl on a table by the trailers while he sharpened a stick to make into an arrow and I finished cleaning and assembling my gun when we hear a clanging sound
"The Saviors are coming!" the guy at the gate yelled as Enid ran over to us and I got up
"We have to get Maggie." She tells us
"Where is she?" Daryl asked and we followed Enid running up to Maggie
"We'll never make it in time." Maggie tells us and we run towards a cellar opening the door
"Just stay down there. I'll keep them away." Enid tells us as I had Maggie go in first
"They aren't the same ones who came to Alexandria." Enid says and Daryl put his hand on my back making me go down then shut the door and we walked through another set of doors that were down there walking into a pantry.
I see Maggie moving a shelf while Daryl looked out the door then she started to go in, "Daryl." He stayed there still looking out holding his knife
"Daryl" I whispered to him and he looked at me then came over to us and I moved in behind the shelf and he followed moving it back keeping me behind him as I kept my hand on my gun.
After a while the cellar door creaked open and Daryl raised his knife up when we see a savior walk in. I had my gun ready staying by Maggie ready to protect her if I had to.
The savior moved around grabbing stuff off the shelves and I saw Daryl move forward raising his gun but Maggie stopped him.
After a few moments the guy left and shut the door, we waited for a moment then Daryl moved out from the shelves looking through the cracks in the door.
"You were gonna kill that guy." Maggie told him as we walked out from behind the shelf
"He was gonna find us."
"He wasn't, and he didn't." She tells him
"He deserved to die."
"Ever since you got here, you haven't said a word to me. Would you look at me?" She asked and he just stood there, "Please? Daryl..."
He finally turned and faced her, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He says with his voice breaking
"It wasn't your fault."
He sniffled, "It was."
"No. It wasn't. You're one of the good things in this world. That's what Glenn thought. And he would know, 'cause he was one of the good things, too." She tells him and I tried to hold back my tears, "And, uh... I wanted to kill that guy, too. I wanted to string them all up and watch them die. But we have to win. Help me win." She begs him and they hug then Maggie looked at me and I hugged her too closing my eyes
"We will. For Glenn, for all of them" I told her and she tightened the hug, "I love you Maggie"
The next day me, Jesus and Daryl head to Alexandria and Tara told us about a place she found, that had people, "They-They have guns. A lot of them. I saw it."
"What?" Daryl asked her
"That group. Um, the women I met. They have an armory. They have guns."
"Why didn't you tell us before now?" Rick asked her
"I made a promise, Rick"
"Are you ready if this goes south?" He asked
"It won't."
"If it does, you don't need to feel bad." He reassured her
"I do feel bad. I will."
"Tara you don't have to." He says to her then later we head out
"On the ground now." Daryl tells 2 women who were headed to the armory, "Those hands - Put them on your head." one girl gets on her knees but the other stays put
"Please." Jesus begged and she gets down then he goes and ties her wrist while Daryl waved a rag to signal Michonne and we walk them to the other women
"Get down over there. Keep quiet." Daryl tells one woman and the 2 women sit down
"Now, we made a lot of noise. We want to wrap this up quick so you can send people to redirect anything coming this way. Tara said your forests are relatively clear, so we won't take any chances. No one needs to get hurt. This is just about what you have, what we need." Rick tells them and I see Tara coming over with a couple more people and the older lady has Tara at gun point
"Nobody's taking anything. You need to let everyone go and leave right now. Just walk away or this one dies.
"Yeah, we'll leave you alone. But we're taking your weapons with us. That's not gonna change. It's Natania, right? Put the gun down, and let's talk about what we can change." Rick pleads with her
"No. Leave right now."
"Michonne, don't!" Tara yells at her
"We just wanna be left alone." Natania says
"Yeah, we'll leave you alone. Just let go of her. Now. Or we'll kill you. None of us want that." Rick tells her
"They want us to fight The Saviors." the girl next to Tara says to the other women
"We tried that. We lost. Too much. We're not gonna lose anymore - not our guns, not our safety, not after everything we've done to get here." Natania mentioned
"We're gonna win - with your guns, with or without your help." Tara says
"Natania, put the gun down." Rick tells her
"You kill me, and you die. And my people take the guns and nothing changes.
"Maybe we should try." I hear a woman say and I look at her
"Grandma, stop. It's over. Just talk to them, okay?" The girl whispered to Natania
"It's not over! They've forgotten. You've all forgotten. Some of you actually want to fight them? After everything? We can lose our guns, but us leaving this place to fight? After everything? I have to remind you! Yes. I am gonna do this, and then I'm gonna die. But it's that important. This is your life, all of you. Remember what it looks like. Remember what they did to us! You need to see this. Open your eyes!"
"Rick! Walkers!" Michonne yells to us, the girl punches Natania and we turn to see a small heard heading towards us and I raise my gun
"Everybody up! Get the children behind us! They're coming." I told them
"First shift, join them on the line. Knives out. Dead only. Dead only!" A woman instructed and we make a line in front of them
"Everyone, shots within 10 feet of the line. That's it." Rick tells them and I cock my gun and look at Daryl who nods at me as the walkers get closer, "Now!" Rick says and we start shooting, a few of the women start stabbing them and I see a little girl get one and we finish them off.
"No. We're not fighting them with you. So take your damn guns and go." She says walking away.
After we get back to Alexandria I see Rosita as she opens the gate for us, "Hey, are you okay?" Enid asked her
"Where's Sasha?" I asked
"There's someone here." She tells us and we head to the cell and when she opens it I see Dwight sitting there, I went to move forward clenching my fists but Jesus held me back then suddenly Daryl rushed forward.
"Daryl!" I shouted but Rick stopped him
"Whoa. Whoa, whoa! Slow down. Come on."
"He says he wants to help us." Rosita tells us
"That true? You want to help?" Rick asked him
"I do."
"Okay," Rick says and pulls out his gun cocking it, "Get on your knees."
"Look at me." Rick tells Dwight, "Why?"
"'Cause I want it stopped. I want Negan dead."
"So why don't you kill him?" I asked him
"Can't just be me. They're all Negan."
"That girl you murdered she had a name." Tara says to him walking over to him bending to look at him, "Her name was Denise, and she was a doctor. And she helped people."
"I wasn't aiming for her." Dwight tells her and Daryl moved past her pinning him to the wall holding a knife to him
"Do it. Do it." Tara said to Daryl
"You wanna end it this way you go ahead. I'm sorry. I am. I know you want to." Dwight pointed out to Daryl
"He could just be here to see if you were here." Rick says to him
"We can't trust him." Michonne adds
"He owned me. But not anymore. What I did, I was doing it for someone else. She just got away. So now I'm here. So are you because of her." Dwight tells Daryl
"Do it!" Tara pushes
"There's another choice." Dwight pleaded, I walked up to him slowly putting my hand on his arm and I feel him tense
"Daryl."
"Daryl, you knew her." Tara says to her
"Negan trusts me. We work together, we can stop him. You knew me then, and you know me now. You know I'm not lying. I'm not."
"Do it. Do it!" Tara demanded, Daryl still holds his knife at Dwight
"Daryl" I said and again and after a few minutes he puts his knife down and hands it to me and I put my hand on his shoulder
"They have Sasha, if she's even alive." Rosita tells us and we all look at her
"Why didn't you say something? He could be our only chance to get her back." Jesus says to her
"Because I don't trust him. But I trust Daryl."
"Negan's coming soon. Tomorrow. Three trucks probably. 20 Saviors and him." Dwight tells us and I sigh then Daryl grabs my hand, "I can slow them down, bring some trees down in the road, buy a little time for you guys to get ready. If you can take them out, that's where we start. You kill them, I'll radio back to the Sanctuary."
"The Sanctuary?" I asked him
"Where Negan lives. That's what they call it. I can radio back to them and say everything's okay. You drive the trucks back, and I can lead you right inside, and, with the right plan, we can wipe out the rest. Check to see if your friend's still alive. Then, we get the workers on our side, build our numbers up, and go from outpost to outpost and end this." He explained
"I hate to admit it but it's a good plan" I tell Rick
"Keep talking."
The gate as they shut after Dwight leaves, "We just started it-the whole thing." Rick tells Daryl as me, Michonne and Jesus stand behind them
"If he's lyin', I'm gonna kill him real slow. When this is done, I don't give a damn if he's sorry. I will kill that son of a bitch."
"If he's lying, this is already over." Rick says and walks away from him then I walked up to Daryl wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and he grabbed my hands
"I'm not gonna let them take you again" I told him and he faced me
"Phoebe..."
"No, and before you say it I am not hiding while you're out here. I can do this and I will do it. Please" I begged him and he kissed my head, "And yes I'll stay by you" I told him and he scoffed then kissed me.
"You're stubborn"
"That's why you love me" I tell him
"There's lots of things I love about you"
"Oh really now?" I asked him
"Mmhm"
I pulled away and grabbed his hand, "Come show me then" I tell him and we walked to our house. We may not have a bed anymore but I was finally able to sleep having him next to me.
"Rosita. Get into position. I'll signal you. And the wall's gonna hold?" Rick asked her from up on top of the gate
"It'll hold."
I look at Daryl as we hear vehicles approaching, he gave my hand a light squeeze, "I love you"
"I love you too" I told him and we looked forward
"All points are covered. Every contingency is already met. I come armed with two barrels of the truth. A test is upon you, and I'm giving out the cheat sheet." We hear Eugene tell us over a mega phone as he rides on the back of a truck to the gate followed by the others, "H-Hello. I come salved with the hope that it is my dropped knowledge that you heed. Options are zero to none. Compliance and fealty are your only escape. Bottom-lining it - You may thrive, or you may die. I sincerely wish for the former for everyone's sake. The jig is up and in full effect. Will you comply, Rick?"
"Where's Negan?" Rick asked him
"I'm Negan." Asshole
After hesitation Rick looked at Rosita signaling her, she presses the button for the explosives and I turn my head squinting my eyes but nothing happens, I look at Daryl then suddenly the Scavengers pull their guns on us and both me and Daryl raised ours and we hear a truck door open and shut.
"You ever hear the one about the stupid little prick named Rick who thought he knew shit but didn't know shit and got everyone he that gave a shit about killed? It's about you. You're all gonna wanna put your guns down now." Negan tells him
"No one drops anything."
"You push me, and you push me. And you push me, Rick. You just tried to blow us up, right? I mean, I get me, my people. But Eugene? He's one of yours. And after what he did - He stepped up. You people are animals. Universe gives you a sign, and you just shove your finger right up its ass." He says sticking his middle finger in the air, "Dwight, Simon, chop-chop," He tells them and they get on the truck Eugene is on and start undoing the tie downs on a coffin, "So, you don't like Eugene anymore. You guys gotta like Sasha." He points out and my heart stops, "I do, too. Got her right here packaged for your convenience, alive and well. Now, I brought her so I wouldn't have to kill all of you, and not killing all of you could get complicated. See, I know there's a lot of firepower left in there, Rick. So I'm gonna make this simple. I want all the guns you've managed to scrape up. Yep, I know about those, too. I want every last grain of lemonade you got left. I want a person of your own choosing for Lucille. Daryl - Ooh, I gotta get me my Daryl back. I see you." Negan says to Daryl then looked at me, "I might even take the misses too." He said and I clench my jaw as I feel anger radiate off of Daryl, "And I want the pool table and all the pool cues and chalk. And I want it now or Sasha dies, and then all of you. Probably. C'mon, Rick. Just because I brought her in a casket doesn't mean she has to leave in it." Rick stays quiet, "You know what? You suck ass, Rick. You really do. I don't want to have to kill her, but that's exactly what you're gonna make me do."
"Let me see her." Rick tells him
"Oh. All right. Just give me a second. I might have to get her up to speed. You can't hear shit inside this thing," He says and bangs his bat on the coffin, "Sash. You're not gonna believe this crap." He opens the coffin and suddenly Sasha comes out, but it's not Sasha anymore, "Holy goddamn!" Negan yells as they fall to the ground as she tries to eat him, Carl started shooting his gun at the Scavengers up top and both me and Daryl started taking out the ones around us then soon others joined in.
"Phoebe come on follow me!" Daryl tells me and we make our way out from behind the car and continue shooting
"Duck!" I yell at him and he does so as I shoot one of the Scavengers I saw coming towards him out of the corner of my eye. He shoots his gun killing another person then runs over taking theirs and we take cover shooting out when we could, "Cover me!" I tell him and he did so as I moved out from behind where we were taking cover and went over behind a house and I killed three more.
We walk down the street and I see Shiva attacking one of the Saviors then King Ezekiel and his people come in as well as my mom, "End these Saviors and their accomplices! Alexandria will not fall, not on this day!"
"Phalanx out, third group, now!" Maggie tells the people of the Hilltop as we follow her, Enid and Jesus
"Move up! Now we got your backs!" Daryl adds and we kill and kill a few more, I ended up splitting off from them and I feel someone knock my gun out of my hands, I look to see it was a Scavenger, I whipped around punching him in the face then kneed his gut but suddenly he grabbed my arm when I went to swing again and pushed me into a car, he holds up his gun up and was about to shoot when I hear a shot go off and I look at my mom, she walked over to me pulling me into a hug and we split up, I grabbed his gun and mine then met back up with Daryl
Suddenly I see a flare go up then the area gets covered in smoke and we all move behind the RV, "Their falling back"
"Eduardo, Bertie, between the houses- Cover the gate!" Maggie tells them and they leave, "Let's go." She says to Jesus, I look at Daryl squeezing his hand and went with them as we head out into the woods. As we walk through we hear a growling and raise our guns but we stop, Sasha was moving towards us, Jesus looked at me and Maggie then moves over taking her to the ground, tears sting my eyes and I look at Maggie who is barely trying to hold it in and I put my hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to do it" I tell her and she looks at me
"I do" She says and pulls out her knife walking over then hesitated before killing her, she stands up and I walk over to her her and she pulls me into a hug and we both cried for our lost friend, our family member.
Once I got back I saw Daryl look at me and I walked over to him slowly but he rushed over to me pulling me into a hug and I cried into his shoulder, "It's ok I got you" He tells me and I continued to cry.
"Phoebe" I hear someone say and I look at Eric, "You might wanna come with me." He told me and I looked at him worried then followed him. We walked through the streets and we saw a couple of our people on the ground then I stopped and looked at one of them.
"No" I whispered and Eric put his hand on my shoulder but I pulled away and ran into the house, "Kayden!" I yelled looking all around then I stopped and walked over to him, "Kayden?" I asked sitting down next to him as he sat tucked in the corner of the living room
"Is my mommy dead?" He asked me and I sniffled
"Yeah, I'm sorry buddy" I told him and he moved forward wrapping his arms around me, "I'm so sorry buddy" I said rubbing his back
"What's gonna happen to me?" He asked and I looked at him
"I'm gonna make sure you are safe and cared for, okay?"
"Can I stay with you?" He asked and I pulled him into a hug
"Of course buddy. Only if you're sure sure though."
"I know you'll keep me safe"
We walked out of the house and I see Daryl walk over to us, "Can you give me a minute buddy? Go over to Eric" I tell him and he nodded running over to Eric
"That the boys mom?" Daryl asked me indicating to the covered up body and I nodded
"I um...he asked if he could stay with me, with us, I told him he could." I tell him and he looked back at Kayden, "He doesn't have anyone else Daryl," He looked at me, "I can't...I don't him to be alone" I said holding back tears and he pulled me to him
"We'll take care of him" He tells me and I smiled as he looked at me, "Together"
"How are you so perfect?" I asked him
"Not me, you. Always have been"
"You don't me Daryl Dixon" I joked and he kissed me
"Yes I do, Phoebe Dixon" I giggled and we walked over to the others and I introduced Kayden to Daryl who shook the boys hand. Kayden was right, I will keep him safe, and I know Daryl will too.
Maggie POV...
"Do you think Sasha did that herself?" Rick asked me
"I don't know how, but I know she did."
"She gave us a did. You made the right decision to come." He says to me
"The decision was made a long time ago, before any of us knew each other, when we were all strangers who would have just passed each other on the street before the world ended. And now we mean everything to each other. You were in trouble. You were trapped. Glenn didn't know you, but he helped you. He put himself in danger for you. And that started it all-From Atlanta, to my daddy's farm, to the prison, to here, to this moment now not as strangers-as family because Glenn chose to be there for you that day a long time ago. That was the decision that changed everything. It started with both of you, and it just grew to all of us to sacrifice for each other to suffer and stand, to grieve, to give, to love, to live to fight for each other. Glenn made the decision, Rick. I was just following his lead."