-Chapter fifty eight; First Time Again-
———
TAYLOR
TAYLOR STOOD BESIDE DARYL AS
she held his hand, the other's around her as Rick went over the plan once more.
This mission was a big deal, and everyone had to know exactly what to do and what their role was in order for the mission to flow smoothly and correctly.
"I know this sounds insane, but this is an insane world. We have to come for them before they come for us. It's that simple." Rick said, looking out over the sea of walkers, "This is where it all starts tomorrow. Tobin gets in the truck, opens the exit and we're off. He hops out, catches up with his team at red staying on the west side of the road. Daryl and Taylor gets on his bike-" Rick was cut off by some rumbling as he turned back to the sea of walkers.
"You see that?" Sasha asks, pointed out, and a few moments later, the head of the truck over in the ravine the walkers were in fell through the rocks, the whole truck crashing down with it.
"It's open! We gotta do this now!" Rick announced, and everyone began rushing to their positions.
"Tobin's group, get movin', go!" Rick ordered.
"No, Rick, we're not ready!" A man named Carter who was a fellow resident of Alexandria argued.
"Sasha! Abraham! Jordyn! Kenny!" Rick called.
"Damn straight, we'll do it live." Abraham replied before he Sasha, and Jordyn hopped in the car.
"You meet Daryl and Taylor at red. Let them take them through the gauntlet." Rick instructed.
"Yeah, we meet at red." Sasha replied before hopping in the driver's seat and drove off.
Glenn came from out underneath the truck, "Rick, I'll hit the tractor place." Glenn said.
"Okay, who else?" Rick asked.
"We got to take them out or they'll distract the horde." Glen explained as he walked up to Heath, another fellow resident of Alexandria.
"I'm here, let me help." Nicholas said as he rushed up.
"No." Glenn declined.
"I'm here!" Nicholas argued.
Glenn gave in, "Do everything I say.".
"I will." Nicholas nodded.
"Rick this was supposed to be a dry run." Carter said to Rick.
"Daryl, Taylor, get ready. They're coming." Rick said to the two as they both aimed their crossbows.
"This all went to shit so fast..." She thought.
"Rick, we haven't even gone through the whole plan." Carter pointed out.
"You want to go back, go back. We're finishing this." Rick replied, "Tobin, you hit it on my signal.".
Carter then rushed off with the others as Rick continued, "They're headin' for home. We don't have a choice. Get ready to hit the flares.".
"Now!" Rick called, and the sound of multiple flares going off followed.
"Tobin, hit the truck!" Rick ordered, and Tobin started up the truck and drove off, Daryl shooting a walker with his crossbow that had gotten through as the horde began to seep out.
-Flashback-
TAYLOR ASKED DARYL TO WHEEL
her to the infirmary, and inside was Tara, who was now awake, Rosita tending to a hurt Glenn, Nicholas, and Jordyn, and Maggie.
"Tara." Taylor smiled over to the woman in bed.
"Hey. You surprisingly don't look like shit for having a fractured rib." Tara smirked.
Giggling, Taylor replied, "Trust me. I feel like shit.".
She looked over to Glenn, Nicholas, and Jordyn, "What the hell happened to you guys?".
Nicholas and Glenn stayed silent as Jordyn walked up to Daryl and Taylor and whispered, "Come find me later tonight.".
She then walked out of the infirmary as Eugene walked in and looked at Tara, "Holy shit.".
"Thank God...nothing happened to your hair." She sighed.
He chuckled and smiled.
"Okay, Eugene's freakin me out. Somebody want to send Noah in here to protect me?" She asked.
Everyone stayed awkwardly silent to Tara's request, knowing Noah was dead.
"Noah..." Taylor thought.
———
"I'M GLAD I MADE SO MUCH FOOD.
didn't realize I'd be feeding three very hungry men." Taylor said, setting down the trays of food she and Kenny made earlier as Daryl and Rick's friend Morgan ate.
"Are you sure you don't want any, Rick? There's plenty." Taylor offered.
He shook his head as he picked up a map, "No, I'm alright, Taylor. Thank you, though.".
"You were right." Morgan said, looking over at Rick, "It wasn't over.".
Looking down at the map, Rick then looked up at Morgan, "We should talk more tomorrow. Listen...I don't take chances anymore.".
Morgan nodded acknowledgingly, "And you shouldn't.".
Sighing, Taylor ran her fingers over Daryl's arm, "Are you sure you're alright?".
"I'm fine, babygirl. I already told ya', nothin' happened to me." He mumbled.
Nodding, she replied, "Atleast get a shower. You smell like shit.".
-End of Flashback-
DARYL AND TAYLOR HAD LEFT THE
original starting area, riding on his motorcycle as the walker horde followed behind them.
"...I hope this works..." Taylor said.
"Me too." He replied.
-Flashback-
THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE
meeting, Taylor went to find Jordyn at her, Abraham, Rosita, Eugene, and Kenny's place.
Knocking on the door, Jordyn answered, stepping out with Taylor as she closed the door, "Hey."
"Hey. Sorry I didn't come find you yesterday. I was so fucking exhausted and spent an hour to convince Daryl to take a shower. On the plus side, though, he doesn't smell like shit anymore." Taylor explained.
Chuckling, Jordyn nodded, "That's good. I wanted to talk to you about me, Glenn, and Nicholas. Me and Glenn planned on killing him out there; get vengeance for Noah. Glenn talked me out of it. What I'm trying to say is if I do end up killing Nicholas, you'll have my back, right?".
"Of course, Jordyn. You're my friend. I don't give two flying fucks about Nicholas." Taylor replied.
Smiling, Jordyn nodded, "Thanks, Taylor.".
"Of course.".
-End of Flashback-
TAYLOR AND DARYL WERE STILL
riding down the road on his motorcycle as the horde of walkers followed behind them.
Up ahead at a turn, Taylor pointed out, "Look. It's Sasha, Abe, Kenny, and Jordyn.".
"I see 'em." Daryl replied, letting them turn onto the road in the car as they followed behind them.
-Flashback-
MOST OF THE RESIDENTS OF
Alexandria were all piled into Deanna's home to discuss a plan to put an end to the massive horde of walkers that could come to Alexandria at any moment.
Heath began explaining to them about the herd of walkers in the ravine, "My team...we saw it early on, back when we were on one of those first scouts, finding out what was around here. There was a camp at the bottom. The people, they must have blocked the exits with one of those trucks back when everything started to go bad. They didn't make it. They were all roamers. Maybe a dozen of them.".
"No one's been back since?" Maggie asked him.
He shook his head, "DC, every town worth scavenging are all in the other direction. And I never really felt like having a picnic next to the camp as that ate itself.".
"So all the while the walkers have been drawn by the sound and they're making more sound and they're drawing more in." Michonne pointed out.
"And here we are." Rick sighed, "Now what I'm proposing, I know it sounds risky, but walkers are already slipping through the exits. One of the trucks keeping the walkers in could go off the edge any day now. Maybe after one more hard rain. That exit sends them east. All of them. Right at us. This isn't ahout if it gives, it's when. It's gonna happen. That's hey we have to do this soon.".
"This is...I don't even have another word for it. This is terrifying. All of it. But it doesn't sound like there's any other way." Carol said.
"Maybe there is." Carter spoke up, "I mean, couldn't we just build up the weak spots? I could draw up plans. I worked on the wall with Reg. Construction crew; we can try and make it safe.".
"Even if we could, the sound of those walkers is drawing more and more every day. Building up the exits won't change that." Rick argued.
"We're gonna do what Rick says, the plan he's laid out." Deanna agreed.
"I told you all, we're gonna have Daryl and Taylor leading them away." Rick said.
"Me, too." Sasha spoke up, "I'll take a car, ride next to them. Can't just be them. I'l keep 'em coming, Daryl and Taylor keeps 'em from getting sloppy.".
"I'll go with her. It's a long way to white-knuckle it solo." Abraham said.
"We'll have two teams. One on each side of the forest helping manage this thing. We're gonna have a few people on watch from now on. Rosita, Spencer, and Holly. So they're out. So who's in?" Rick asked.
"Me." Michonne spoke up.
"I'm in." Glenn said.
"I'd like to help as well." Gabriel said.
"No. Who else? We need more." Rick turned him down.
"There's gotta be another play. We can't just control that many." Carter argued.
"I said it before, walkers herd up. They'll follow a path if something's drawing them. That's how we can get 'em all at once." Rick explained.
"So, what? We're supposed to just take your word for it? We're all supposed to just fall in line behind you after-" Carter was interrupted by Taylor.
"He's helping us, asshole. Get it through your thick ass skull.".
Carter glared at her as Rick asked, "After what?".
"After you wave a gun around screaming, pointing it at people. After you shoot a man in the face. After you-" Deanna interrupted Carter.
"Enough!".
Rick and Carter stared intently at one another as Heath spoke up, "I'll do it.".
"Me, too." A fellow woman resident of Alexandria spoke up too.
"Whatever you need, I'm in." Tobin nodded.
"Now who else?" Deanna asked.
Taylor caught Glenn give Nicholas a shake of his head, and despite this, Nicholas still spoke up, "I'll go. We have to do this. I need to help.".
She heard Jordyn scoff from next to her and Daryl and she mumbled, "Jordyn, are you okay?".
"Nicholas is gonna fuck up the whole plan..." She mumbled back.
"You sure you can handle it?" Rick asked Nicholas.
"You need people." He replied.
Nodding in content, Rick said, "We'll make this work. We'll keep this place safe. Keep our families safe. We will.".
"The plan. Go though it again." Carter said.
"Man, he jus' said it." Daryl muttered.
"He's too much of a fucking dumbass to get it." Taylor muttered.
"Taylor, shut it." Daryl glared, and she bit the inside of her cheek.
Carter was being an asshole, and she wasn't just going to let him.
"Every part again. The exact plan." Carter demanded after finishing another stare down with Taylor.
———
"IS IS STILL BAD?" TAYLOR ASKED
Jordyn as she checked her side.
"Don't know. Does this hurt?" Jordyn asked, placing pressure on Taylor's rib.
"Ow! Yeah, it hurts like a bitch." Taylor groaned.
"Sorry, sorry. That's your answer, Taylor. It's still fractured, and you shouldn't be going on this mission. You should stay here and rest." Jordyn said.
"I-" Taylor began, but Jordyn interrupted her.
I already know what you're going to say. Every person counts and you can't leave Daryl alone. I know you won't listen, so I won't stop you. I know you too well." She sighed.
"Yeah. It's like you're my mom." Taylor smirked.
That's when Daryl walked into the infirmary, "Hey. Can I talk to ya' for a sec?".
"Of course. What's up?" Taylor ssked.
"I uh...I get Carter's a total dick, but jus' lke him an' everyone else here, we live wit' 'em now. I jus' don' want ya' givin' 'em reasons ta' hate ya'. Yer a great kid, an' a lotta people should know it." Daryl explained.
Getting up with slight struggle, Taylor sighed, "Daryl, I get we have a father daughter bond, but I don't need you lecturing me. I'm already lectured enough and feel like a fucking baby.".
She then walked out of the infirmary, leaving Daryl and Jordyn alone.
-End of Flashback-
TAYLOR, DARYL, ABRAHAM,
Sasha, Kenny, and Jordyn reached the checkpoint with the walkers still right behind them.
Taylor watched as three flares all from Morgan, Rick, and Michonne as they went up into the sky.
"This is where it gets serious...huh?" She asked Daryl.
"Yeah. Shit gets real from here." He mumbled.
They made it to the turning point, Michonne, Rick, and Morgan still firing flares to keep the walkers attention as they made the turn, slamming against the metal barriers.
As they continued driving down the road, something caught the attention of both Daryl and Taylor.
"Was that..." Taylor said.
"Yer dad's car. Yeah, think it was." Daryl replied before gesturing to Abraham to roll down his window.
He did, "Who the hell was that?".
"Don' know. Me an' Taylor are gonna drive ahead an' check it out, make sure it don' throw the hoede off." Daryl responded.
"Hey, you two be safe." Jordyn said from the backseat.
Nodding, Taylor replied, "We will.".
Daryl then drove off after the car, wondering if it really was her dad's car or not.
If it was...why was it here?
To Be Continued
Word Count: 2334
Edited: ❌