Chapter 48

I woke up with the worst headache, ever! My eyes took so long to focus I could barely hold them open, I was fighting myself to wake up, or move, but I could barely even do that. I gave up for a while just letting myself fall back asleep, until I finally woke up again, this time I was able to get my eyes open, and look around.

"Shit, finally, you're awake." Daryl sighed heavily next to me as he kissed my hand.

"W'happened?" I slurred out.

"Beta knocked ya out, gave ya a concussion actually. I got a move on him, but him and his people got away. We're arranging a stand off on the bridge." Daryl explained.

"I'll b'there." I mumbled.

"You can barely talk, I doubt you'll be up and moving by then." Daryl shot me down.

"'Nother day, I'll b'good ta go." I felt myself getting extremely tired again, unable to keep my eyes open. "One more day." I mumbled before falling back asleep.

———

I was up and ready to go at the crack of dawn, I was still tired, my head still felt foggy, but I had to be there when this ended. I spent the morning with Scout keeping myself distracted from how tired I was. We colored and played with cars throughout the morning until the group was ready to move out. Michonne would be staying back with William, Scout, and Judith, of course there were others staying back, but those specific few were staying. I gave Scout a long firm hug, reassuring him I would be coming back.

On the way to the bridge I ended up falling asleep, I had nothing to keep me busy, not long later I was woken up by Daryl.

"I knew you weren't okay." Daryl grumbled angrily as he helped me out of the buggy.

"I'm fine, just a little tired." I yawned. Daryl patted his hand against my cheek a few times, helping me to wake up.

"Well you better wake up, cause I don't know how long we'll be waiting here." Daryl grumbled, I groaned back tiredly.

We waited for what felt like days, but it was only because I was fighting sleep that it felt that way. Finally as the sun lowered just above the horizon Beta and the other Whisperer's emerged across the bridge. Not a word was spoken, everyone knew why the other was here. In an instant it was chaos, everyone charged, a loud thud as everyone collided against one another, screams piercing the sky, blood splatter flying everywhere, walkers began filling the crowd. Then Beta's booming voice filled the air.

"Stop!" Beta hollered everyone stopping, but still killed walkers that were near. "I only want the man that killed Alpha." Negan was about to speak up proudly, but Rick beat him to it.

"He ain't here." Rick said. "So you'll be dealing with me." That's when all of us started to look at each other, all of us ready to move off the bridge.

The crowds parted making way for Beta and Rick, and their fight began, everyone standing back, that's when our group began to move back off the bridge, the Whisperer's filling in the empty space. Rick was not putting up a very good fight against Beta, every one of us wanting to step in but Rick stopped us.

"Everyone leave!" Rick groaned out in pain.

"This isn't the plan." Everyone began murmuring to each other.

"Go now!" Rick took another punch to the face, Beta standing over him.

"Dad!" Carl yelled to him.

"You heard him, he's giving you a headstart, cause once I'm done with him, there will be no mercy for any of you." Beta said darkly.

Then Daryl took aim for the explosives on the bridge, I knew he had the shot, but he wouldn't take it.

"Daryl, do it, he's going to kill Rick." I urged.

"And so will the blast, he's still on the bridge." Daryl argued. I watched Beta beat Rick to a pulp, it felt like slow motion, then I acted, I would not watch another friend die.

I snatched Daryl's crossbow, and all in one movement I took aim, and fired a bolt straight between Beta's eyes. It was silent as Beta fell with a hard thud, the Whisperer's behind him murmuring to one another. Within the same moment I saw Rick raise his silver Colt Python in his hand, and fire his gun straight for the barrels of explosives.

"No!" Carl screamed as the bridge went up in flames, the explosion knocking us all back. Daryl was quickly on his feet.

"Rick, Rick!" Daryl yelled.

"Daryl, Carl." I ran after them. They ran down toward the rushing Creek. "He's gone." I said sadly.

"No we can't give up on him, he's just down stream somewhere." Daryl said hastily walking down the shoreline. Carl standing there, staring in disbelief.

"He's gone." I said again, following Daryl, trying to stop him.

"No he ain't! He would never give up on any of us, or you!" Daryl said angrily.

"Let's go back home, and let Michonne know first, and we'll see where to go from there." I said calmly, seeing the tears fill Daryl's eyes. He quickly pressed himself against me, wrapping his arms around me, and sobbed into my shoulder, I hugged him tightly, bringing him whatever comfort I could, tears streaming down my face.

The trip home was silent and solemn, and when we walked through the gates, it was evident something was wrong.

"I'll go let Michonne know, you should clean up before the kids see you." Father Gabriel said kindly to me as he went off quickly, Carl following him.

I went over to our clean up station we had over by the shed and began to wash the blood from my hands, my clothes were a different story. I went home as quickly as possible, Daryl in tow, both of us catching a glimpse of Michonne crumbling on her front porch. I changed quickly, Daryl still sitting on the bed.

"Take your time, I'll go take care of the kids okay?" I squeezed Daryl's shoulder, he sat there with no response. I left over to Michonne's house, where all the kids were, Michonne paying no kind of attention to me as Carl held Michonne, and  Judith had her arms wrapped around her, Father Gabriel standing near them.

"Momma." Scout saw me walk through the door. "Gabriel said Uncle Rick was hurt."

"Yeah, He was." I tried so hard to keep it together.

"Where is he?" Scout asked.

"We're sending people out to find him." I said calmly.

"What, you don't know where he is?" Scout said confused.

"I'll have to get into it later kid, right now, we need to go home, Auntie Carol is coming over." I said with a smirk.

"But mom-" Scout started.

"Scout I know you have a million questions, but I can't." I ended the conversation, taking Scout's hand, and heading home.

I know it might've seemed rude to just walk past Michonne, twice, but I suck with emotion, and I knew in a matter of an hour Michonne would be out there looking for him.

———

We waited for hours, for any news, from any of the groups, Carl and Michonne were out together. Daryl and a few others were home by now, everyone waiting anxiously for a report. When the last group came home empty handed, everyone was emotionless, not sure what to do or say at this point. The sun was down, the last light barely visible, when Alden approached Carl. Who was now technically in charge.

"Carl I'm sorry." Alden spoke softly. "A group is here, one guy says he knows you, name's Morgan." I instantly pulled away from Daryl's side, seeing Morgan and our Texas group at the front gate. Carl stood there unsure, I touched his arm.

"I know them, I'll take care of it." I said gently.

I dashed toward Morgan, wrapping my arms around him tightly, tears still pouring down my cheeks, out of sadness and joy to see all my friends.

"I knew you were okay." I said quietly as I pulled away trying to wipe my tears away. "What're you doing here?" I asked, looking at my long lost friends, John, June, Charlie, Alicia, Luciana, Victor, and Al.

"After hearing from you, I knew we needed to come see you." Morgan explained. "Our community is doing well enough we were able to leave for a while."

"What's going on?" Victor looked past me looking at the grief running through the community.

"We, uh, we lost Rick." I spoke quietly. Instant tears at Morgan's eyes, Rick was one of Morgan's longest friends they met at the very beginning.

"I wanna see him." Morgan said shakily.

———

(Revenge- XXXTentacion)

I could tell how heartbroken Morgan was over his friend, Rick was an incredible man, no doubt. I told Michonne she could come stay with Daryl and I, if she wanted, she declined, she decided to move to Hilltop for a while, taking Judith and William with her. Carl stayed here to oversee everything. Rick would have been buried here in Alexandria, if we could've found him. Rick's colt was something her and Daryl had found on one of their search parties. It was really surreal to me, I couldn't wrap my head around it, every time I would stop and talk with Negan I would half expect to see Rick watching from a distance, sometimes I swear I did see him.

Morgan and our Texas group stayed, they had been here for close to a week, Carl permitted them to stay in his home, which was just Rick and Michonne's. Scout spent most of his time with our Texas group, he favorited John and Victor, he loved their stories and the things they talked about, of course John was his favorite because of the candy he carried in his pockets. Daryl got to get to know the group he seemed to really like them, of course I still very much loved this group, they were family for close to four years.

"I just wanted to let you know that we are going to be leaving soon." Victor said to me one night as I was leaving their temporary house. "And we would really like for you and your family to come back with us."

"Really?" It actually meant a lot to hear that from Victor Strand. He wasn't much for sentiment, and didn't really get close to anyone, so to hear him say he wanted me, Daryl, and Scout to come back with them, meant a lot.

"Yeah, I can see this community is striving, and it will strive without you. I can see that you've been hurt, and maybe a fresh start would be superlative." Victor said as he squeezed my shoulder.

"I'd love to, but I'll have to talk to Daryl about it first." I said to him. "Good night Victor."

"You know you're the only that calls me that all the time, everyone else calls me Strand." He said admiring.

"I'm consistent." I said a little smugly.

"Good night Miss Emily." Victor gave me a nod.

"You're literally the only one that calls me that." I laughed a little as I left. I had told Victor my real name at one point, I can't remember why.

I headed home with slumped shoulders, and a lot on my mind.

"Scout's in bed, he'll be out until morning." Daryl sighed.

"He's a heavy sleeper now a days." I kicked off my boots, sitting on the couch.

"How you feeling?" Daryl asked placing his hand on my thigh.

"I have a big question for you." I said uneasy.

"What is it?" Daryl asked.

"How would you feel about leaving to Texas, with Morgan and them?" I asked nervously.

"I, uh, I don't know?" Daryl shrugged, caught off guard by the question. "For how long?"

"Permanently, or until we wanna come back?" I said carefully.

"Really?" Daryl looked at me with a look I couldn't read. He was silent and I was silent, both of us thinking, I was thinking of a good argument, but I don't know what he was thinking. I was about to speak up when he cut me off. "I have nothing left here." He spoke softly.

"I d-"

"Yeah, I wanna go." Daryl stated. "Rick was the last family I had left, besides Carol, but she's moved on to a new family. I know Carl can handle things here on his own." He said almost coldly.

"Are you sure?" I wanted to give him a chance to change his mind just in case he really didn't want to leave.

"Yeah I think it's time we move on." Daryl said determined. I felt tears burning my eyes, I don't know what I was feeling, it was so many different things. Leaving the home that I had known for so long, and leaving fragments of what I once called a family behind. "What do we need to pack?" Daryl asked wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"Just our clothes, and weapons, our food, maybe a couple of Scout's favorite toys." I shrugged.

"What do you think he'll say about leaving?" Daryl asked.

"He was raised with that group, I think he'll be happy." I reassured Daryl.

I was ready for this fresh new start, I was ready to start over in a sense, I was just ready!

——————————————

NOT THE END!

Surprise I have something special for you guys, so I will be continuing this story in another part, I don't know when I will be posting the first chapter, but I thank you guys for all the support on this story and I can't wait for the next one!

Cover for the next story down below!

Also if you guys haven't seen my other stories you should check them out, I have lots of other Walking Dead Fanfictions, and I'm about to post more Walking Dead Fanfictions. Also I'm going to post one of my very own stories with all original characters, and lots of bearded men, haha! So please, if you could check those stories out it would mean a lot to me! :)