Chapter 173-The Commonwealth
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl walked outside of his room the next day with his bag on his back. He walked outside and set his bag in one of the jeeps as Alicia walks up behind him and puts her bag in the jeep. "Merle and Ofelia?" Daryl asks.
"They're with Judith." Alicia tells her husband who nods as Daniel walks up to them.
"Daryl." Daniel says making Daryl look at him, seeing the look of concern on the normally unflappable man's face. "You two need to talk to Charlie."
"Why?" Alicia asks.
"Just talk to her." Daniel says worriedly before he walks away. Daryl and Alicia share a look before they walk inside the house and walk upstairs. They knock on the door and Charlie opens the door.
"Did Daniel rat me out?" Charlie sighed as she lets them in, heading to the kitchen.
"What's going on, Charlie?" Alicia asks worriedly.
"Rachel and I aren't going." Charlie turned back to her, arms crossed.
"What?" Daryl blinked, unsure he heard right.
"I'm not going." Charlie repeated, enunciating every word.
"Why?" Alicia asks.
"Because it's bullshit." Charlie snapped, her voice raising with every word. "The reason you are leaving is BULLSHIT!"
"We're leaving for a fresh start-" Daryl started to tell his adoptive daughter.
"No, you're not, Dad." Charlie cut him immediately off. "You're leaving because you're in pain. Because everywhere you look you see Carol, I know it hurts, I know how much you loved her. But you're not leaving for a fresh start, you're running! You're abandoning everybody you love because you're in pain but so are they. Rick, Carl, Maggie, Aaron, Jerry, especially her fucking husband Ezekiel. They all lost Carol, yet you're the one running like a goddamn coward!"
"Charlie, you don't—" Alicia started to cut in stern.
"No, You don't get to defend him, he knows what he is doing is wrong! The thing is People fucking Die! We all fucking die!" Charlie takes a deep breath as her adoptive parents stare at her in shock. Then she begins to speak again "OK you might have everyone else fooled. And you know what? Maybe you too!" Charlie points at the dead silent Daryl, Alicia anxiously backing away "That's always been your fucking problem, Daryl. You've always had this Psychotic idea that everything that goes bad for us is your fault somehow. Carol's death wasn't your fault, the Camp wasn't your fault, Hell, GLENN and HERSHEL SENIOR'S fucking deaths weren't your fault, but you still fucking endlessly blame yourself when none of them were!" Daryl stays silent as he stares at her.
"I can't deal with this anymore, I'm not you DARYL" Using that instead of Dad, hitting him deep "I can't believe you're just running away from here and face it. That's what you're doing, you're not wanting a fresh start, YOUR FUCKING RUNNING!" Charlie roared those three last words right at him.
"Charlie—"Daryl says softly.
"NO! I don't want to hear you goddamn excuses, I'm not going. You can't change my mind and you can't force you, because you aren't my parents." Charlie says before she pushes past the two and walks out of the room leaving Daryl and Alicia standing there in silence as she finished darkly "Now get the hell out of my house!"
Rick's P.O.V
Rick walked out of the house with a small bag. "How long are we going to be gone?" Carl asks as he walks up to his father, carrying his own bag.
"A couple of days probably." Rick tells him. "Scott will keep everything here running, but we all need to see who we are making an alliance with. Sounds damn important."
"I agree." Carl nodded. "Who's staying at the Kingdom?"
"Dianne. Most of us are going, and Jerry insists Ezekiel goes with them." Rick tells him. "There will be enough people in the Kingdom and Alexandria to keep it safe if someone shows up. Should be quiet with Alpha gone."
"...Dad..." Carl paused with concern in his voice and gaze as his Father looked at him "Daryl's leaving, be honest...what do you think?"
"I don't think even Daryl knows what he is doing." Rick said tiredly, rubbing his brow "He's just looking for a way to get away from the pain he's feeling but the truth is, he'll never outrun it. I'm worried about what he might do or say when it all becomes to much."
"He'll be fine, Daryl's strong." Carl says as he pats his father's shoulder and Rick nods as they continue to walk, although the tight feeling in his gut remained.
Charlie's P.O.V
Charlie sat on the branch watching the kids as they played by the water. "You said some harsh things." Daniel says as he walks up beside her and sits down.
"Oh for...you heard?" Charlie asks, exasperated about being a point of gossip.
"I think everybody in Alexandria heard." Daniel said dryly, causing Charlie to blush and look away. "I understand your frustration with your Father." Daniel says saying the last part slowly. "I agree with what you said—"
"If you're trying to convince me to go, don't." Charlie warned.
"I'm not." Daniel said in comfort. "Just let me say my piece." Charlie nods. "I agree with what you said, not the way you said it but the meaning behind it, to him because it is true. He is running to get away from his pain. I know from experience, cause all I wanted to do was run after my daughter died, but after a while I couldn't run from my daughter's ghost. Eventually I have to face it and so will Daryl. He will return here because it is his home. You just need to be patient. Don't stay at the Commonwealth if you do not want to, but over the next few days, think about this conversation. Because this war has proved that any of us can die and you don't want that conversation to be how you remember him or Alicia if something happens." Daniel stands up. "Are you going to come and at least see the place?"
Charlie nods with a sigh. "Yeah, I want to make sure the kids settle in and Rachel wants to see it," Charlie tells Daniel who nods as he walks away.
Negan's P.O.V
Negan laid on the bed in the back of an R.V, staring at the ceiling as he had been rested. "Time for your medicine." He looked up in surprise as it was Carl there, and not Kate.
"Where's my girlfriend?" Negan asks annoyedly.
"Feeding your daughter." Carl answered.
"Where is Rosita?"
"Sleeping."
"Where is your father?"
"Driving, sorry you're stuck with me." Carl says with a smirk as he sits on the bed. "You want me to get you some applesauce?"
"Do we have to do that?" Negan snapped, clearly fed up with the baby treatment.
"Yes. You heard them, its the best way to get the pills down unless you think you can move." Carl says.
"Then, yes get me some applesauce," Negan says. Carl shakes his head as he and walks towards his bag. He comes back a few minutes later with applesauce and a spoon. "Fucking Christ, feel like a damn 2 year old. How much farther out are we?"
"We're still about eight hours." Carl answered, heading to the front "Everyone else is stretching their legs right now."
"I hate long drives." Negan says as he puts the medicine in the applesauce. He looks at Carl who was staring at him. "What? Your surprised?"
"You're right, it shouldn't," Carl says. "Get some sleep. "You're going to need it, we're going to be busy."
Negan nods as Carl started the engine, honking the horn to start regathering
Jerry's P.O.V
The caravan were starting to move after switching drivers and eating, Jerry sitting next to Lance. "Mr. Hornsby, can I talk to you?"
"Of course, Jerry. Also, it's Lance." Lance beamed at him. "What can I help you with?"
"Ezekiel has cancer." Jerry tells him, biting his lip. "He can still be saved but he needs surgery, we can't do that at the Kingdom but I thought maybe the Commonwealth could."
"You're right, we can Jerry, but there is a list." Lance informed him.
"Is there anyway he could be moved up on the list?" Jerry asks Lance. Lance stays silent for a moment before he smiles.
"I'm sure I can figure something out." Lance says. "Give me a day when we get there and I'm sure I can get Ezekiel some help."
"That would be great dude, we owe you dude. I owe you!" Jerry says with a grin.
"We're allies, Jerry, we need each other." Lance says and Jerry nods as he turns to tell the good news as Lance watched with a smile.
Then he felt being watched and turned...then saw from the next carriage Rick Grimes watching the whole exchange.
Looking right at him.
Daryl's P.O.V
The sun was starting to set in the sky when the group finally saw the gates to the Commonwealth. The gates opened as the caravan entered the large community, people by the hundreds walking around as if it was the World Before. After they had all stopped Daryl climbs off his bike. He looks at Rick as he walks up to him. "Big place," Rick says to Daryl who nods silently as they see Lance talking to a woman at the front of the Caravan.
Narrowing his eyes, Rick mumbled "...She looks familiar."
"Regina said her name was Pamela." Daryl says as Alicia walks up to them, a hand on her husband's arm quiet...clearly still drained from the heated argument that morning, and Lance walks towards them with Pamela.
"Daryl, Rick, Alicia. I would like you to meet the Governor of the Commonwealth, Pamela Milton."
"It is nice to meet you." Pamela says as she shakes Rick's hand, and then Daryl's and finally Alicia's. "Lance told me about your friend, Carol. I'm sorry for your lost."
"Thank you." Rick says quietly, his eyes narrowed, as if trying to place her.
"I know it has been a long ride for all of you, so I have had one our apartment building's top floor set up for your people to sleep, it will be kind of cramped but I did not know how many of you were coming."
"Thank you again." Rick says. "Will we speak tomorrow? You understand we can't leave them undefended for so long."
"Yes, I will speak with you and Alicia tomorrow. You group can also roam freely around the Commonwealth. From my understanding, Mr. Dixon's group is staying," Pamela says and Rick nods. "I will have homes up for them, have a good night and we will speak tomorrow." Pamela says before she turns around and walks away from them.
"I will have guards show you to where you will be staying. Daryl I would actually like you to meet someone before your shown where you will be staying." Lance says. "If you don't mind."
"Go, we'll see you later." Alicia says. Daryl nods as he begins to follow Lance, half listening as he started to talk.
"Where are we going?"
"Well, I radioed Pamela a couple of hours ago and told her about your skills and the job I offered you, she is hoping you would take it so she wanted you to lead the person who has been leading the hunting parties, you'll be working very closely with her."
"How do people get supplies in the walls?" Daryl asks him.
"They pay for it, you get paid for your job." Lance says.
Daryl looks at him in mild shock. "Really? Money?"
"Yeah, I know." Lance grinned at his surprise. "But we've tried to hold onto the old world here. That is why I want your people to work with us, you have made the new world inside of this dead world and I think together we can make everything better, unite them to take the good and the bad out of each."
Daryl nods. "How much will I get paid?" He asks as he looks around the buildings, noting it seemed deserted for the most part.
"If you're a good as you say you are, you'll have a good amount of money." Lance says. "I believe you are."
Daryl scoffed as they arrive at the building. "Here we go," Lance says as he pushes the door open, leading Daryl inside. Daryl looks at a woman who sat on a bench with her back turned towards them making arrows, turning when she hears the door shut.
"Hornsby, is that you can-"
She stopped as she fully turned, looking at Daryl to his and Lance's confusion, stands up and slowly walks towards them keeping her eyes on Daryl the whole time.
"Daryl?"
Thanks for reading. Next chapter Daryl talks with an old friend. Rick and Alicia talk to Pamela and the group starts to settle into the Commonwealth. As always suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.