My Hunter || Daryl Dixon

Chapter 52

I've had a long day walking around and meeting different people from Alexandria. All of them nice, all of them really friendly. I was reserved, still unsure of the people and the whole set up. Every person I met grabbed my stomach, droning on about not seeing a pregnant person in so long and how they haven't seen babies and so on and so forth. By the end of the third hour I knew I had had enough. I excused myself and made my way back towards the house.

I checked in with Rosita and Noah and they said that Belle had gone with Carl, Rick and Judith to Jessie's house, Pete's wife. I walk along the empty roads towards the house, my hands in the pockets of my jeans. My fingers are holding onto to the picture and a small smile comes to my face. I walk up the steps of the house and open the door, looking around for Daryl.

"Dare?" I call out.

I don't hear a response and I walk further into the house, searching for my husband, "Daryl?" I repeat louder.

I hear voices coming from towards the back of the house and I walk towards it, going down the hallways towards the kitchen. The voices get louder and I can make out who they are.

"I just get a weird feeling about this place." Daryl says as I stop beside the counter in the kitchen, listening in.

"I know, we have to keep our guard up at all times." Carol says, her tone strong and authoritarian, "But it is safer here. Safer for Hayley, Belle and the baby." She adds.

They remain silent for a moment before I hear her speak again, "How are you two going? You know with everything that's going on?" She asks, her tone soft and caring.

It's quiet for a moment before I hear him speak, "I don't know." He says and I grow confused, taken aback by his doubtful tone.

"What do you mean?" She asks and I hear someone shuffle in their seat.

"I mean, she's fine with everything. It's just..." He trails off and I feel my heart pounding in my chest with anxiety.

"What?" She probes as I lean against the counter for support as I listen.

"After the prison fell... Things have been different." He says quietly, "I mean, I saw her there. Kneeling before him and I was just so mad at myself." He says and shudder goes down my back at the thought of the Governor.

"Why?" She asks, her time sincere.

"I couldn't save her. I just stood there and watched as she faced towards us and I was so scared. I thought that that was it, she would be gone." He almost whispers, his voice so quiet.

"Then everyone got split up and it was just me and Beth. Her father just died and she was separated from Maggie and my wife and kid were gone, I had no idea if they were okay. Then we were on our own for those few weeks and I didn't know what to do. We tried to find everyone but it was so hard." He says, hidden emotion in his voice.

"I thought if I could protect Beth, if I could keep her safe that I could take care of Belle and Hay... But then I lost her and I knew that there was no way I was going to find them. I thought that was it." He says, his voice slightly breaking.

He is quiet for a moment and I hear shuffling once more, "Then I found Rick and the others and I had hope. And when I saw Belle in that container, I knew that I would find her. All I could think was, I have one, please let me have my other girl back."

He takes a shaky breath, "We got out of Terminus and then we were on the road again. When we found Gabriel and the church I thought that maybe finally I could begin to really search for her, to find her and bring her home. And when we walked up those steps and into the church and I saw her there with Belle in her arms... It was almost a dream. She was there in front of me."