Chapter 37

The two living walkers walked close to me, as they led me out of the show store. Suddenly Daryl charged at one of them, but they were swift, and were able to avoid his attack.

"Daryl!" I yelled. One Whisperer punched Daryl, and kneed him in the gut, causing him to fall to the ground. The other Whisperer kicked Daryl over and brought his knife down, Daryl moved just in time taking the blade to his side. "Leave him alone!" I screamed, that sentence tearing through my throat.

The two Whisperers grabbed me roughly and led me down into the herd of walkers. I looked back at Daryl, who was holding his bleeding wound, trying to crawl after us.They stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking over the nearby walkers, before finding one that had its guts hanging out. One Whisperer was able to get its hands covered in walker muck, turning and putting it on me. I had done this a lot in my life, but it was definitely something I didn't miss.

"Come." The green eyed Whisperer said grabbing my arm, and pulling me after him.

"Where?" I tried to whisper as quietly as him.

"Alpha." The other said. They spoke in few words and I could appreciate that, where were these people when I had to talk like that? Also how have I not run into these people sooner?

I then realized what I needed to do, I needed to be that helpless girl again, the girl that didn't talk hardly at all because she had no voice to talk, timid, shy, but definitely able to fight. It wasn't until we exited the mall that my concern for Daryl grew, did he make it out of the mall? I didn't want to leave him behind, especially wounded, I hoped he would be okay. There was no way Daryl would be able to get me out of this on his own, he would need back up. I was suddenly aware of how far away from home I was, I don't think our people would make the trip this far out, especially for one person.

The Whisperer's began to break away from the herd, the green eyed one holding me close making sure I wouldn't run. We made our way into the woods, up an incline until we got to a clearing filled with people, and also Whisperer's. They led me through the camp, down a path that went through some trees, to another little campsite.

"Alpha." The green eyed Whisperer said in a normal volume. A tall bald woman stepped out of the tent, a stone look on her face, not a slump in her shoulders, she was in charge for sure.

"Who's this?" Alpha's voice sent chills down my spine. She looked directly into my eyes not breaking eye contact, but I broke contact several times. The green eyed Whisperer nudged me, wanting me to answer her.

"Hazel." My voice scratched out, perfect.

"Where?" Alpha looked to the green eyed Whisperer.

"Mall, shoe store." He said standing up straighter, as he pulled the decaying skin from his head like a ski-mask.

"Found shoes." The other Whisperer pulled a shoebox from his pack handing them to Alpha.

"Come tonight." She said straight faced as she looked over the shoes. I could sense a smirk on the Whisperer's face. "Leave us, I talk." Alpha shooed away the two Whisperers, leaving just me now. "Come." She gestured with her hand as she went back into her tent. It was warmer in here than outside, which was nice, it was getting cold. "Sit." Alpha pointed to a chair, once I sat I started looking around. This place wasn't just for sleeping, it was like a house, living room, bedroom, kitchen. "Hazel." Her speaking my name sent chills down my spine. "Come from where?"

"Place, miles away." Even though my throat was irritated, and I wanted to clear it, I couldn't give up the innocent vibe it gave me.

"It's name?" She asked as she reclined back into her chair.

"Alexandria." Chills ran down my spine again, why was I telling her this, these people were a threat.

"Place with windmill." She stated as she sat up leaning toward me a bit, she knew where we were. I nodded, my body shaking almost violently in fear.

"I go, back home?" I asked innocently.

"No." She said simply, her deep voice almost rumbling.

"Why?" I furrowed my brows. "They need me." I argued.

"Now, we need you." She said simply. "Our people, suffer in winter. Need more troops." She said persuasively.

"No, home." I stated strongly.

"Talk like us, why?" She asked perceptively.

"Voice, damaged." My voice scratched out, I must've strained it when I yelled at Daryl.

"You fit in, stay." She demanded. "Like you."

"Scare me." I said innocently.

"Don't fear, just leader." She shrugged.

"Alpha." A deep rumbling voice called from outside.

"Come in." She looked at me, anticipation on her face. A very large man stepped in, his head almost touching the top of the tent, half his face covered in a walker mask, a large trench coat covering his large muscles that I could see anyway. Shit. "Hazel, Beta." She pointed to him. "Beta, Hazel." He looked at me uninterested.

"Prisoners taken care of, ready to move." He said straightforward.

"Be there soon." She nodded and he left. "Lance." She called, the green eyed Whisperer that brought me in stepped inside. "Watch, keep close, show place." Alpha ordered.

"Yes Alpha." The green eyed Whisperer nodded and reached out to me, but I moved away, climbing to my feet on my own, following after him.

——————

Daryl-

This could not be happening, Hazel, she was gone, taken, shit I don't know? I was stabbed, bleeding pretty badly, I bandaged myself the best I could. Watching Hazel be taken from me was like a slap in the face, well more accurately a punch in the face. What was I going to do, I just got her back now she was gone again. My mind was everywhere as I drove my motorcycle, I didn't want to leave, I didn't leave actually, I stayed in that mall and searched the entire place for any trace of her, there was nothing. I hoped Hazel had gotten away, but what would I tell Scout when I returned without his mom? I searched surrounding areas for her in hopes she didn't get far, but she was nowhere to be found, now I knew I had to head home and bring back help, I couldn't find her on my own.

Of course when I got to the gates immediately Eugene noticed Hazel was gone, and he began to ask questions. Even though Eugene had betrayed us then saved us in the last minute, Hazel was still just as kind to him as before, they were friends since the moment they met, so I had to tell him.

"Where's Hazel, why isn't she with you?" Eugene said heated. Carl was on watch today too, and was right there listening intently. I guess I forget that everyone else just got her back too.

"We got separated, I couldn't find her, I came to put a team together to find her." I said simply.

"Count me in." Eugene stood straighter. "I'll start loading up a carriage for the trip." Eugene immediately ready to go.

"Me too." Carl stated, taking off to collect things I suppose.

I went to find Rick he needed to know, but more importantly my son needed to know, I couldn't keep this from him.

I made my way up to the front steps to Rick's house, my wounded side throbbing. I knocked on the door apprehensively, Rick answering the door with a jolly welcome.

"You're back!" Rick smiled, Scout bolting around the corner to see us, but only seeing me. "Where's Hazel?" I could see tears filling Scout's eyes as Rick's question lingered.

"We got separated." I looked down at the ground, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "Walkers filled the mall, I don't know how to explain it, but walkers took her."

"She's..." Rick lingered, knowing Scout was standing there.

"No, no. These two walkers came into the store, they were walking around looking through stuff." I was still confused by everything. "They took her, I tried to save her. They attacked me, then I lost them in a herd of walkers." Rick's face was very confused, but so was I, and I saw it. "I looked everywhere for her, nothing." My voice cracked. Scout ran across the room, slamming into me, pain shooting through my side. Scout clung to me, sobs coming from him, I scooped up my son, holding him against me, in the most comforting embrace I could muster.

"What's the plan?" Rick said determined, knowing I had thought of several.

"I wanna put a search team together, we're gonna find her." I said straight forward.

"We'll head out to Hilltop, as soon as possible." Rick ordered.

"We go to the Kingdom too, they'll want to know, they'll wanna help." I demanded. Rick fidgeted looking down at his crippled leg, reminding me of my own. Running around with Scout so much had helped my leg, it still wasn't one hundred percent, I still walked with a limp, but it wasn't as painful, Scout had drastically improved my life.

"Scout can stay with me and Judith again." Rick said sorely. I set Scout down, standing him to face me.

"Look at me, I'm gonna find momma, and I'm gonna bring her back home to ya, okay?" I squeezed his thin shoulders, looking into those big blue eyes of his, reminding me of myself. "I'm gonna find her no matter what, alright?" I sniffled blinking back tears as I embraced my son once more.

"You're coming back too, right Daddy?" Scout said weakly.

"Nothing could stop me from coming back here to you kid." I kissed the small boys cheeks, wiping his tears, kissing his forehead one last time, and giving him one more hug before leaving.

I was walking toward my house to get some stuff, but I stopped when the pain in my side flared up again.

"Daryl, it's been awhile." Negan said smugly. I looked up realizing I was in front of Negan's house. "Something wrong?"

"Hazel's gone missing." I said short, taking a deep breath trying to breathe the pain away.

"I heard, what happened, couldn't satisfy her?" Negan mocked, I just glared. "You know make her legs quiver, make her scream your name-"

"Shut up!" I snapped. "I don't even know why I'm talkin' to you." I scoffed about to leave.

"You want my help." Negan said softer. "So let me help."

"We don't need your help." I growled.

"I would do anything for that woman, and her boy." Negan added, chills ran down my spine.

"Leave my son alone!" I yelled at Negan.

"You don't actually believe that boy is yours do ya?" I charged at Negan, grabbed him by his shirt, and lifted him up.

"He is my boy!" I yelled. "I know he's my son, I know Hazel wouldn't lie to me!" I growled at him.

"Please let me help you find her." Negan went back to the important topic at hand.

"No." I shoved him then began leaving.

"Daryl you're hurt, let me help." Negan called after me, I ignored him.

We finished loading up the carriage, a small team heading out, consisting of Eugene, Carl, and myself. We approached the gate Scott opening it up, we were about to leave when I heard someone yelling my name.

"Daryl! Daryl stop!" I turned around to see Negan, what the hell?

"What're you doing?" I hopped off the carriage, sucking in a painful breath, but I was still going to attack him.

"Don't go, let me go, that boy can't lose you too." Negan panted as he came to a halt.

"I told him I'd find her." I grumbled at him.

"I know, but don't you think he'd be more at ease having his daddy by his side?" Negan questioned.

"I have to find her." I said almost in a begging tone.

"I never had a kid of my own, but I know for a fact I wouldn't want to miss a single second of his life. Don't go out there, let me go, if I go it won't matter that I died, there ain't no one waiting for me here, or anywhere." Negan said with a bit of sympathy.

"How can I trust you'll bring her back after what you did to her?" I shoved him.

"You can't, but I promise I will, I want her back here taking care of that boy just as much as the next person. I want that boy to have the life no one else has had, with both of his parents." Negan pressed.

"Go, before I change my mind." I said defeated. I grabbed a pack from the carriage and unhitched one of the horses.

"I'll bring her back." Negan said thankful. "Keep an eye out for us." He took the pack, mounted the horse and left, everyone standing there flabbergasted.

"Why are you letting him do this?" Eugene growled.

"Because he's right." I said simply.

"He may be a smug asshole, but Negan has always kept his word." Carl explained.

"Is Siddiq in the infirmary?" I asked, this pain was getting to me.

"Yeah." Carl said confused.

"Good, cause I need 'im." I was feeling weak. I draped my arm over Carl, who grabbed hold of me, and helped me to the infirmary.

"What's going on?" Siddiq was a little startled when we came inside.

"I need stitched up." I said simply. Carl helping me over to the bed.

"Yeah, let me check it out." Siddiq gave his hands a quick wash, then he lifted my shirt, carefully taking my bloody bandage off.

"Shit, it's not that bad right?" I asked, trying to look at the wound.

"Well your lucky, nothing vital was hit." Siddiq said as he shined a flashlight on my wound. "So you will live another day to take care of that kid of yours." Siddiq smirked at me.

After Siddiq stitched me up, and bandaged my wound, I went on my way back to Rick's to get Scout home. Our first night was rough together, in the end he slept in bed with me, sniffling softly in his sleep. He missed his mom and as far as he knew she was gone. I hoped with everything I had that son of a bitch Negan would keep his word and bring her home.