Danielle's POV
I stay leaning against Liam for support as we watch the last of The Saviours drive away. I don't think I can ever get over the fact that Negan admitted he likes me. I can never tell Daryl, he would officially loose it.
I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath. Liam looks at me, his eyes narrowed in concern. "Mom, where are you hurt apart from your thigh?"
I shake my head. "I'm fine munch. Just need a few stitches is all." I promise. He lifts his eyebrow. "You don't look fine."
I scoff. "Oh you're a right charmer ain't ya?" I say sarcastically. He chuckles lightly. "You're always beautiful. I just meant you look hurt." He says softly.
I ain't fine but I can't tell if it's emotional or physical.
As Tobin closes the gate behind them Rick whirls round to face the other members of Alexandria standing around the gate. "What happened to the pantry?" He growls.
I frown, glancing at Liam and quirk my eyebrow. He leans towards me. "It's completely empty." He explains lowly so only I can hear him.
"We don't know." Aaron says shaking his head gravely. "We need to talk to Gabriel."
"Where is he?" Rick asks. Tobin walks up to join the group. "He was on watch the night you all went to scavenge. I was supposed to take over for him in the morning. He wasn't at his post."
Aaron crosses his arms angrily over his chest. "Pantry was cleared out and a car is gone."
"No one seen him since." Eric adds. Rosita scoffs angrily, her arms crossed over her chest. "That son of a bitch. He stole our shit and ran."
Tobin nods gravely. "That's.....what it looks like." He agrees although the look on his face says he doesn't want to believe it. "I don't want to believe it." Tobin mutters proving my point.
"I don't believe it." Rick snaps, ending the group's discussion. "That's not Gabriel. He wouldn't do that to us." Rosita lifts her chin. "I thought he'd change to but it can't be anything else."
"Yes it can." I snap back, sick and tired of her goddamn attitude. I narrow my eyes at her as she glares back but don't say anything.
Rick meets my gaze and nods in agreement. We are both thinking of all the other possibilities, none of which are good. We need to find out what happened and fast. There's a major chance we have a problem with our security but Rosita is too angry to see that.
"Dani you need to get looked at." Rick says as he glances at Tara. I shake my head. "I'm fine. I just need to clean up. Most of it isn't mine."
"Some of it is." Carl argues making me narrow my eyes at him.
Traitor.
He snorts, shaking his head understanding my look perfectly. Rick turns his attention back to group. "Tobin you're on watch. Sis go take care of yourself. The rest of us, let's head over to the pantry and see what there is to see."
I agree begrudgingly. Even if I wasn't going to let anyone look at my ribs or thigh, I definitely need to clean up. I turn to walk back to the house and it takes me longer than usual because of my thigh.
Michonne is in the house when I finally get there and I freeze as I look around. They had completely tossed it. They had thrown things around that weren't necessary in their search for Daryl just because they could.
I meet Michonne's eyes where she stood in the living room, her hands full of our personal belongings. She looks around herself and sighs in defeat.
"Rick and them are headed to the pantry, you might want to meet them over there 'chonne." I tell her. She nods, dropping the blankets where she stood. "You okay Dani?" She asks hesitating by the doorway.
"Nothing a shower won't fix." I tell her even though it's a lie. Michonne however took me at my words and walks out to find the others. I walk downstairs and see The Saviours had ripped apart down here as well.
I have a quick shower, scrubbing of all the dirt and blood. I dress in one of my tanks and wrapped my leg back up before I pull my jeans on. I put on my shoulder harness and secure my claw to my belt. I grab my sunglasses putting them on my head and push my hair back. I grab Daryl's zip up jacket and shrug it on as I make my way to the pantry.
When I reach the pantry everyone is standing in the empty room that normally holds all of our weapons.
"There weren't tracks out there before." Aaron is saying. "We didn't find anything now. Maybe Daryl could have picked something up but...." They all look up when I step inside and look around.
Every shelf, every basket is completely empty. We have been cleared out. Even if Gabriel wanted to, there was no way he could have been this thorough by himself. It would have taken him too long and someone would have seen him.
"He left," Rosita snarls unkindly. "He didn't leave a note. He obviously doesn't want to be found."
Rick is flipping through Gabriel's bible and I'm surprised he left it. I step further into the room and notice Olivia's notebook on the side. I flip through it and don't see anything until the very last page which had only one word scribbled onto it.
Boat.
"Does this mean anything to you?" I ask Rick, holding the notepad to him. Rick glances up frowning but it's Aaron who steps forward. He looks at the notebook then at Rick. "How would he know we were out there?" He asks.
"I don't know," Rick says, his voice grave. "But we need to find out."
The group splits up to prepare to make a run to the boat that Aaron and Rick had found. Rick told everyone to meet back at gate in half an hour. Rick is striding down the street to our house when I call after him. "Rick."
He pauses and swings back to face me. "I'm not going with you." I tell him making him frown at me. "Sis, we need you. Without Daryl here you're the best tracker we have."
I snort. "I'm not that good of a tracker. I only know a few bits here and there."
"You know what to look for." He argues. "I've seen you with Daryl......and we don't know what this is. We need you."
"My husband needs me." I reply firmly. Rick licks his lips and steps towards me. I can see he isn't going to let this go easily and Ricks used to getting his own way. "Daryl is fine." He argues. "Just help us today. You can go find Daryl tomorrow. One day won't make a difference."
"Daryl isn't fine Rick." I growl out. If he'd seen him at dinner then he would know that he isn't fine. I need to see Daryl. Rick must read the look on my face because he sighs. "Sis please, we need you." I breath out harshly. "Fine. But I'm leaving straight after." I say ending it. He nods smiling triumphantly.
Rick may be my brother but I need to be back with Daryl. I have spent days without him and after today, I need him.
******
The boat is closer than I anticipated. Only half an hour from home. It's in the middle of a small lake that's completely surrounded by walkers. And by the sounds of all the snarls and growls, it draws more and more each day.
I grimace as I put weight on my thigh making Aaron look at me in concern. I wave him off as I focus on what Ricks saying. "Okay, this is the place." He looks back at me encouraging me to take charge.
"Let's break into two groups. One group goes clock wise, the other counter-clockwise. Rosita, Tara and Michonne. Me, Rick and Aaron. You find something, call to the others. Keep in each other's footsteps. Don't make more than one trail. If you find something, call me, I'll come look."
The others nod agreeing with me and moves to go with only Rosita hesitating for a moment. She glares at me before she stalks off and I roll my eyes.
She keeps up this attitude, I'm going to put her in her place.
When I look back at Aaron, he's watching Rosita walk away. He glances back at me. "Is there a problem?" He asks. I shrug. "Not yet but there will be if she keeps up that attitude with me."
"I don't get why she's got a problem with you though DeDe." Aaron frowns in confusion. "I don't get it either double A." I say softly as he smiles at my nickname.
Seems everyone likes my nick names.
We was half way done on our side when Rick whistles to me. I lift my gaze to him seeing him crouched in the underbrush. I step towards him carefully, not because of a possible trail, because of my damn thigh. When I get close I spot the trail instantly. Hell, even nugget could spot this trail.
Rick whistles loudly to the others and leads the way through the underbrush. There's only one set of tracks but it looks to be a well traveled path. Whoever it was they have been here before and often.
The path leads a way to a garbage dump. Rick and I walk together on point. Well I say walk, more like I limp. I look over my shoulder and signal to the group to make a V formation. The tracks grow until we hit an area that is very well traveled on.
I hear a distinctive click behind me and whirl to see a woman standing beside a car pointing a rifle at us. I go still and Rick notices. He turns and spots what I do before he turns and holds his hands up. There are others.
As we stand there more come out driving us closer together as a group. Once we're back to back even more come out. They are all armed with guns and knives and others with homemade weapons. They are all wearing black and moving in formation like they've done it for years.
Jesus, what is this? A dance troop?
I look around at the group surrounding us and realise there's no way out for us. My heart beats and my hand closes around my claw.
Rick however, standing beside me started to smile.
Why the fuck is he smiling right now?