𝖣𝖺𝗋𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖪𝖾𝖾𝗉𝗌 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖬𝖾 | ᴅᴀʀʏʟ ᴅɪxᴏɴ ³

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

«A RARE BLESSING»

                                   
IN THE QUIET EARLY MORNING, Daryl and Chloe lay entwined in each other's arms when a pounding echoed through the silence, shattering their peaceful slumber. Daryl stirred, his eyes flickering open with alertness, immediately followed by Chloe, who blinked away the remnants of sleep, her senses awakening to the urgency of the knocks.

Pounding on the door intensified, each thud vibrating through the house. Logan and John, awakened by the noise, exchanged murmurs from the nearby room.

"Who's that at this hour?" Chloe spoke, her voice still rough from sleep.

With a shake of his head, Daryl untangled himself from her, retrieving the crossbow leaning against the nearby dresser. Chloe, now fully awake, slid out of bed, pulling on a nearby shirt as she approached Daryl.

The pounding continued, echoing through the silent house.

"Can't we catch a bit of morning shut-eye?" Merle stepped out of his room, yawning. It seemed everyone was awake except for Tom and R.J. Daryl headed toward the door, with Logan and Merle following closely behind. Meanwhile, Chloe, Carol, and John stayed near the stairs.

To their surprise, Gabriel stood on the doorstep, his expression etched with urgency. His breaths came in ragged gasps. "Daryl."

"What?" Daryl asked.

"He's gone." That was all Gabriel had to say as Chloe descended the stairs sleepily. "The guards say the keys are missing."

"Negan?" Chloe questioned, locking eyes with Logan.

"Whoever took the keys must've set him free," Daryl reasoned.

"Who was on watch last night?" Aaron, positioned behind Gabriel, inquired.

"Laura was, but she said she didn't do it, and I believe her."

They soon discovered that Lydia had lied about releasing him. After falsely confessing to Aaron and Gabriel, she descended to the cells, locking herself inside and Chloe and Daryl felt the responsibility to head down and talk to her.

"Let's go," Daryl urged, opening the unlocked door to the cell where Lydia was seated – Negan's former cell, on the bed he used to occupy. "You didn't do this."

"Yeah, I did," Lydia told him.

"I kept watch last night," Daryl informed her. "You never left the house."

"Does it matter?" she asked, her eyes moving between Chloe and him. "This is where they want me."

"Doesn't matter what they want," Chloe assured her.

"You know, for a long time, I blamed myself for what happened last year," Lydia whispered. "Kept thinking, what if I just stayed in that cell at Hilltop? If I never let myself be taken alive by you people in the first place? Never went off with Henry? Never said what I said to my mother?"

"You're not to blame for her," Daryl said.

"My mother was right," she continued. "She said you people put on these polite faces, but it's just a mask 'cause when things get bad... when you get scared... you pick a target, aim, and shoot. Me, Negan, anything but you."

"Negan's different," Daryl insisted. "You didn't know him."

"The Negan I know stood up for me when he didn't have to," Lydia said, causing Chloe and Daryl to remain silent.