Arrowhead ➳ Daryl Dixon

f o u r t y o n e

At last, Daryl pulled away, keeping his hands on her shoulders as he searched her face. "They didn't get ye, did they?" He asked urgently, searching her body for any signs of blood.

"No, no, I'm fine." She assured him.

"C'mon, we best check on Glenn an' Mags." Daryl said, coaxing her to the house. She twisted and looked back at Stefan briefly, only to find that he was now staring down at the ground, his features blank.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Maggie tucked the blanket up to Glenn's chin, rubbing her hand along his tanned cheek. She'd just changed his bandages, relieved to find that most of the bleeding had stopped. She sat down on the edge of the bed, taking his hand between her own and squeezing it gently. She stared forward, eyes blank as her mind.

"I can't loose you, Glenn." She murmured softly, running her fingertips over his worn knuckles. She shook her head, tears dropping onto her lap. "I can't."

"Y... You're not going to." A voice said suddenly, so raspy and quiet she could barely hear it. She froze, shaking when his hand very lightly squeezed her own. She gasped, thinking that she had just imagined all this. She turned to Glenn, a look of pure hope in those eyes of hers.

"Glenn...?" She said, crouching at his bedside. His brown eyes fluttered open at last, looking into her own. His smile was faint and timid.

"Hey beautiful." She laughed weakly, throwing her arms around his beat up torso. She sobbed into him, shoulders quivering. She laughed and cried with joy, finally feeling a shred of hope that she hadn't felt in a long time. It was a happy sight, the happiest in a long, long time. She pulled away from him, taking his hand between her own.

"Where are Daryl and Pres?" He asked, a small frown now creasing his face. He paused before adding, "And Stefan?"

"They're around here somewhere. A herd passed through and they all got caught outside. Daryl came back, but now he's out looking for Stefan and Presley." Only a little concern could be detected in her voice. Her focus was still mostly on Glenn.

"I'm sure they're alright." He said, settling back into the bed as he stared up at his wife. "Tough as nails, all three of em."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

It didn't take long for the three of them to return, and both Maggie and Glenn were relieved to see that their friends were alive. The five of them sat in Glenn's room, each holding a can of peaches or green beans. Although the air was heavy, the laughed and joked enough to make each other smile at least once.

"Nice to have ye back, cripple." Daryl said, smacking Glenn on the shoulder in a playful manner before returning himself to his usual spot beside Presley. They sat so their shoulders weren't even touching. Stefan watched the two of them, noticing the small glow of happiness on her face. He was happy for her, even though it killed him inside.

Zeva lifted her head from the bowl her food had been dumped into, licking her lips and tossing her head, wagging her tail as she hopped up onto the small couch Daryl and Presley sat up, ignoring the fact that there were already people there. They both groaned as she settled into their laps, her head laid out sweetly on Presley's lap.

"Look, a happy family." Glenn said, motioning to the three on the couch. Maggie pursed her lips and looked at Stefan, who now bore a frown. Nobody else noticed. At the thought of a family, Maggie's heart beat faster. She would have to break the news to Glenn soon, but how? How in the midst of all this?

Both Daryl and Presley shot Glenn a glare, but Presley's was evidently playful. As was Daryl's, but it wasn't nearly as noticeable.

The group of people, and the dog, were a happy, glorious sight to see and to watch. They were comfortable in Woodbury, the walls were safe and they could prosper for a while. All seemed right that night.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you for the lovely votes, everybody. To those of you who vote on every single chapter, ya'll are my favorite people and I really appreciate your support. That's the reason I continue writing, and the reason for this rather early update.

I am going to try doing this early update goal thing. I work on the next chapters the second I post the last, so usually I have them posted within a week or so. However, if you reach the voting goal, I will do my best to post them the day that the goal is reached, or the day after. You will still get an update if the goal is not reached, of course, but not for another 5-8 days or so. Naturally, the goal is going to be high, as this is a treat and I do not have to do this. c: You can promote the story by telling your friends or your followers to read it, and encourage them to vote for the update goal.

Early Update Goal : 280 votes

Thank you so much for your support, again. Comment on what you thought of this decently happy chapter. Don't worry, action and drama will be coming soon enough. xoxo

What do you guys think of the early update goal?