His Wings (D.D. fanfiction)

Chapter 32

I woke up the next day with a heavy heart, having reached a breaking point in my patience for Daryl's inconsistent behavior. I couldn't let him keep hurting me like this. 

I shuffled out of bed, fully aware that they would be burying Pete and Deanna's husband that day. I dressed in my clothes, opting for a warm magenta sweater to combat the cold wind outside. Descending the stairs, I noticed Daryl wasn't there, but Maggie and Glenn were waiting for me.

"You ready?" They asked, I nodded before I started to follow them out the house.

I trailed behind them, uncertain of what emotions to feel. We made our way to the back of the estate, where freshly dug graves awaited. Two large, heavy boxes contained the bodies of Pete and Deanna's husband.

I stood next to Maggie, observing the small crowd on Pete's side, which consisted only of Jessie and her two kids. Rick and Daryl hadn't chosen to attend, and perhaps it was for the best.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Pete and Reg..." I blocked out the rest of Gabriel's speech's and stared at Petes box. He would never get to know how much he ruined my life and how much I suffered. I was brought back to reality when I noticed Jessie was crying, and so were her kids.

Guilt washed over me, and I left Maggie's side. People watched me as I walked over to Jessie's side, surprising both her and myself. I slipped my hand into hers and squeezed it firmly. She managed a small, sad smile, and together we watched as the coffins were lowered into the ground, with Deanna weeping by herself.

A few minutes passed, and people began to leave, leaving only Jessie, her two sons, and me.

"I'm sorry for what he did to you," Jessie finally said.

"He wasn't always like that you know, the older he got the more drunk and twisted he became." I whispered, gazing at the cross.

"These are your half-brothers, Ron and Sam. Not the most perfect time to meet, but still..." Jessie trailed off and squeezed the boys' shoulders.

"Hi Ron and Sam." I got on my knees and waved at the boys, Ron peered over to me and gave me a small smile before looking back at the cross, whilst Sam ignored me.

Though they were my half-brothers, I wasn't particularly interested in forming a relationship with them. I had spent my whole life trying to accept the fact that Pete was unfortunately part of me, and I couldn't handle anyone else who shared his blood.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here," Jessie offered quietly, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

"Likewise," I replied with a small smile. I looked at where Pete was one last time, I had to just let it go. I turned on my heels and slowly walked away. I stared at the ground, caught up in my own thoughts, before I tore my eyes away and stared at the tree lining. I saw that Daryl was staring at me from near one of the trees, with an unreadable expression across his face. I avoided his gaze and held everything together so that I didn't have to talk to him. I walked back home on my own thinking about all the memories of Pete.

Over the next few days, Rick took over the leadership of Alexandria and began teaching the residents self-defense.

I spent those days working on theories about a vaccine, collaborating with the new town doctor, Denise, and using the lab equipment to develop a test vaccine. Unfortunately, we hadn't made any significant breakthroughs yet. Daryl seemed to keep his distance, and I rarely saw him around the house. Perhaps that was for the best; I needed to move on.

I was in the house late one evening, working in my journal after assisting Denise all day, when I heard screams outside. I jumped up from the couch and rushed to the window to see what was happening. My heart raced as I witnessed a truck crashing into the water tower, and a loud siren blared while people climbed over the fence and started attacking our own.