Kill First, Feel Last ; Daryl Dixon

twenty two:: planning ahead

I don't entirely know what I was thinking when I turned to my father for help. For once it wasn't my father to blame; it was the rest of the group. They were cold and rude, and I couldn't entirely blame them but in my eyes- my father was doing what deemed necessary to justify his mistakes and his brutality. He left his sanctuary to assure the safety of this group and myself. 


I literally could not begin to justify the pain and grief this group has felt because of him, but if my life was in jeopardy, i'd push every single grudge i held for him aside- just for the safety of the group. We all sat around the table, attempting to discuss a plan of attack on Azikio's camp, but everyone had a face like a slapped ass and wouldn't tolerate one and another. 
"Oh for fuck sakes." I moaned, slamming my hand on the metal table and standing on two feet. 
"What's wrong, Kaylie?" Rick asked. 
"I'm over this tension! Tension you can cut with a fucking butter knife!" I began to speak louder. "I understand completely what you are all feeling right now, and I can't even begin to justify it. The man who killed Maggie's husband, Rosita and Sasha's former and current boyfriend is standing the room behind us with his lackies.." 
"You don't understand." Rosita growled. "He's your father, you're always going to take his side." She spat. 

"Take his side?!" I walked towards her, watching her stand up herself. I stopped myself once I got inches away from her face. "If I was taking my father's side, I wouldn't have helped you all escape. Instead, I would have pushed you all into a trap, ready for my father to meet you with his precious Lucille. I hate the stunts that  my father has pulled with every waking bone I have in my body but- but now it's personal between both groups. If you want to take Azikio, his fucking tiger and his men alone, go right ahead- I won't stop you. But I'm telling you now, you won't last one goddamned minute." 

Rosita's mouth opened to say something, but snapped shut instantly and back away fro me. Her head nodding in agreeance finally, as did the rest of Rick's group. "Now." I began, walking back to the table, noticing my dad, Simon and a few more of his men come into the room and sit down nearby. 

"When Daryl was a prisoner at my dad's camp..." I sighed. "He and I had a few very long and deep conversations about what you and your group had gone though. There was a man in your group, Shane was it? Daryl said he broke open a barn full of walkers- ordering you all to fight right now if you want to survive. Am I mistaken, or is that what happened?" 

"That's what happened." Maggie nodded slowly. I turned my attention to Daryl who was sitting on the edge of the table, biting his finger nails like he was in deep thought. 
"I never knew Shane and by the sounds of it, I'm happy I didn't. I would have knocked some sense in that mother fucker." Rick lightly chuckled, along with Daryl. "But that is true. You want to survive? We fight. We fight for our lives, and we fight for our children. We fight for our safety and the safety of others. Because while Azikio and his rotten tiger are still out there- nobody is safe." 

"She's right." My dad cut in. "Heck, I've done wrong by you folks for a while now, thinking you were all the threat and deserved what you got. But, the truth is- you didn't deserve it. I do apologize and what I say certainly won't bring Glenn and Abraham back but--"

"But it's something." I cut him off. 
"She's right.." Rick began. "We need to eliminate the threat, Negan is no longer the threat. 
"No." Maggie wiped a tear. "But it's going to be hard to adjust to him being here.." 
"I understand that." Dad nodded. "Just don't be a bunch of farts and make it hell being here." 
"Right." She nodded.

"Everyone good?" I questioned, searching the room for an objection. Once nobody said a thing, a smile crept onto my face. "Great! So I have a plan." 

I walked over to the table, and pulled out a large piece of paper and a pen. Drawing my plan down. "I say we flank them. Half of us go in from the front and the other half in the back. The people out front will be the ones who need to be the most skilled with a gun, so the people in come in from the rear can give us the element of surprise." 

"I like it." Rick nodded. 
"Only one problem." Daryl added as he plopped his arm around my shoulders. 
"What's that?" I asked. 
"I can't go head on." Maggie added, gesturing to her stomach. 
"I know." I smiled. "That's why you, Dwight and Aaron will be on the tree line with snipers. If shit get's bad really fast, you make a run for it to hilltop." 
"Okay.." She nodded. 

"That all?" I asked. 
"One more thing.." Dad began. "Where will we all go once it's all over? If we all get split up, we'd all look like a bunch of puppies in a haystack?" 
"Huh?" I laughed slightly. "You mean needles in a haystack." 
"Yeah.." He laughed. 
"I say we all go back to Alexandria.." I suggested. "Don't have the threat of the saviors any longer." 

"Why can't we just go back there now?" Sasha questioned. 
"Because Azikio know's where you are now, and he knows where Alexandria is." Dad chimed in. 


____________

After we had all finally come to an agreement, We all sat in the Rec room, swapping war stories and stories about our lives before the apocalypse. We were all laughing and cracking jokes, even my dad was getting along with everyone. I looked over to my right, noticing Daryl already looking at me with a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes playfully at him before getting up to go to the bathroom. I past Doug's cell, he was passed out, but his breathing still light. 

I continued on to the bathroom when a pair of strong arms pinned me against the wall, making it impossible for me to move. At first I assumed it was Daryl- playing his rough kind of game but when I raised my eyes, the burned skin and the blonde hair made my skin crawl. 
"Dwight..." I questioned. "What are you doing?" 
"You.." He growled. "It was you!" 
"What?" I struggled. "What was me?" 
"You're the one who killed Sherry! It was you!" 
"What?" I laughed. "Yes Dwight, I transformed into a walker just to take a bite out of your wife. You're crazy!" 
"No..." He growled. "You're the one who encouraged her to go with you. Now, you're the one who's going to die." 

He pulled out a knife from his waistband, and began to rise it to my neck. Once the blade touched my skin I was unable to move because one slight movement and the blade would be in my neck. I whimpered as he pressed it harder on my skin, when suddenly a bone crushing thud removed him off me. Dad was already beating Dwight's skull in with Lucille before I could even process what happened.

"You mother fucker!" Dad yelled as the bloody contents from Dwight's head exploded onto his clothing. Dad's loud voice was what caused the rest of the group to come running in to see what happened. Once they had realized- their facial expression's completely changed. They were watching my father beat his head in, but not with fear or sadness in their eyes- but with what seemed to be recognition. It  was like they were proud. 

I was suddenly engulfed into Daryl's strong arms and before I knew it- sobs were escaping my lips. 
"Shh.." He soothed. "Baby, you're okay." 

Suddenly another sound of screaming erupted through the hallways, making us all turn our heads and realizing Maggie was on the ground- clutching her stomach. 
"Maggie!" I yelled running up to her. "What is it?" 
"T-the..." She stuttered. "Th-the baby is coming."