Confide in Hope | DARYL DIXON •2

65. To Hilltop, Again

"How could you not think they don't deserve pain? Deserve death?"

"I don't.. I don't know. Maybe if I ever figure it all out I'll let you know."

"Alright, the swamp is too dangerous, can't risk it." Daryl announces, as he comes back with some of the guys.

"Okay, we'll look at the map. See any knew ways of getting around it. Find our way to hilltop without the usual routes." She says, standing up from the ground with the help of Rosita.

"Yeah, and we'll let them rest as we do so." Rosita says.

Daryl nods his head in response, leaning down on a rock with the map unfolding in his hands.

Alex stares at Daryl as she pass him, with Rosita by my side. His face had brought her comfort, his small eyes and the way they looked at hers, always made her feel like she had a home with him no matter where they were.

Even when hope was withering away from them slowly, just one glance of each other's eyes had brought the smallest of reassurance.

Alex tries bending down, but before she could, Rosita grabs her waist and slowly leans down. Her other hand makes sure that my her hurt leg stays straight.

We sit around the map, Tara occasionally looking to her side at Dwight.

"If they're smart, they'll cover all these passes between here and Hilltop." Daryl explains.

"I think even if we do try and find a way, I'm sure there's some of them out there. Walking about, doing absolutely nothing." Alex speaks.

"Yeah but we have to keep moving. We'll have to risk it." Rosita chimes in.

"Can't be sitting ducks, no." She shakes her head fiercely. "Damn it, we're screwed both ways."

"Lex, we're more screwed if we sit here." Tara points out, then looks at Dwight as he inches toward us, his arms free.

"Maybe you don't have to be screwed. Maybe you don't have to risk it."

"What are you saying?" Alex turns her head to Dwight.

"I'm saying..." he bends down pointing to the map, causing Tara to flinch. "Negan won't send his people to this stretch of swamp. Not if he doesn't want to."

"Yeah? How do you know that?" Tara asks.

"Negan wanted to map the best routes with cover from the sanctuary to hilltop. He wanted... he decided that the swamp was too dangerous. Didn't think it was worth the risk."

"You aren't seriously gonna listen to him? It's too dangerous, so you're gonna send us? Are you kidding me? They have us boxed in!" Tara stands up.

"He has a point. Why should we trust him?" Tobin says.

"He could turn on us like he did his own."

"I didn't just turn on em. I killed em." Dwight admits, "Daryl aww it, Rosita did. You saw it. Both of you. But one of em got away. So if Negan finds me, he puts my head on a pike. I'm not working for them, I'm not going back. I chose my side, this is it. I'm here to help you. But after that...well I know how it all ends."

"Alright." Daryl says as Alex reaches for his wrist and tugs it,insinuating that she needed help to stand. His arms wrap around her waist from where she was, pulling her off the ground like she had weighed absolutely nothing. "What do you think?" He whispers.

"I think..." Alex turns her head, and stares into Dwight's eyes. "If you turn your back, if you even dare try and betray us. Just keep an eye out for me."