A muffled cry drew you near the trees. An angry Walker was over the victim he had just thrown to the ground. You threw yourself on the monster and buried the machete in his skull. You didn’t even have time to recognize the human being nearby. It fell pitifully to the ground and remained motionless and under it appeared a girl with long brown hair.

"Alicia…”

She looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my god…” You two hugged each other tightly. None of you could believe that this really happened. “Let’s go the others, let’s get out of here! I have a boat, please let’s get out of here!”Alicia picked up the weapon she had lost in the fight with the living dead and put it back on her belt. “You have a boat? Where?”

“A little further out, they are waiting for us.”

“Who is waiting for us?”

“The group that saved me, we can trust them, I’ve been traveling with them for weeks, if not months.”

You both killed even more Walkers until you saw the silhouettes of Travis and Madison fighting back to back against the swarm of living dead. You two made your way to them, destroying the circle of Walkers that surrounded them, and made an escape route. “Y/N, you are alive!”Madison said, clinging to you in a hug.

“Come on, I’ll get you out of here, I know where we have to go.”

“She has a group!”, Alicia said.

“We have to get Nick.”

Only then did you think of him. You had noticed his absence from the boat and had not dared to shout his name. A warm relief filled your head, but that didn’t mean anything…

“I’ll look for him.”, Travis said. “Madison and Alicia, you go with Y/N, we’ll catch up with you.”

You approached Travis. “You’ll see the boat offshore, they’re waiting for us… Travis, where are Victor and Chris?”

The man just nodded, looked at the floor and wanted to leave, but you stopped him by grabbing him by the arm. Rugged as you really wanted and looked into Travis’s eyes. You understood it immediately… “Please come back…”

He looked at you and nodded, a promise in his eyes, shortly thereafter he went back into the dense vegetation. You swallowed and were abruptly brought back to reality. A Walker ​​appeared out of nowhere and attacked you from behind. You tried to break free, but stumbled over a branch. A moment later, the Walker fell on you, but behind you Alicia had already loaded the weapon and aimed at the living dead. “Are you crazy, you could kill me!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve improved a lot.”, she said harshly and managed to eliminate the Walker. She looked at her mother, who was sitting on a rock, examining a long cut on her calf. “Let’s go, if we’re on the boat, the sooner we can cleanse the wound.”

With the help of Alicia and Y/N, Madison reached the boat without much effort, even though her wound had no signs of infection. When she saw the boat a few hundred yards away, you couldn’t help but smile. They were all at the edge of the lake now, the rope had been lowered and Rick called for Daryl, Carol and Glenn. Soon it was clear why… Several Walkers approached to their left, but they died one after another under the precise aim of the members of Rick’s group.

“Come on Mum. You can do it.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.” She dropped into the water and started swimming as fast as she could to the rope, the wound burning unbearably, Madison could almost see the salt touch the living flesh and sparkle like hydrogen peroxide, she was grimacing at the pain but it didn’t stop, deep, dark circles on her eyes

When they were finally in the immediate vicinity of the boat, you and Alicia helped her hold onto the rope while Rick and Maggie reached out to catch it. In the same way they greeted Alicia and pulled you up with the rope. “Carl, get some bandages, several. Disinfectants, rags, everything we need.” You approached Madison and Alicia. The latter had taken the moist bandage, which now gently wrapped her mother’s wounds and tried to dry it as much as possible. When Carl opened the first aid kit, they started to treat her quickly. Maggie then brought food and handed it to the women.

“Here, you have to eat something.”

“Thanks…” Madison looked exhausted. The only thing she had energy for was a grimace at the pain. She was so weak that she even stopped with her questioning expression, which she had reserved exclusively and in front of all strangers. “Are all of you here? It would be better to drive soon.”, Rick said.

“No, we are still waiting for my husband and my son!”

The former sheriff snorted and glanced at the island. “How long will it take?”, he asked. Rick looked at the woman on the bridge for a moment, and it seemed to him that a too familiar picture was going through his head. He understood what people felt when they saw him. Not just simple, normal fear. A kind of respectful fear and suffering, mixed with the horror of standing before the unknown of the future. It was what they felt when they saw someone who was willing to do anything to live and to let his family survive. And suddenly Rick turned around and walked away…

You snorted and, to reduce the time, took a few rags and began cleaning the boards of the bridge where some blood had been shed. As soon as they finished the medication Madison had fainted on the deck of the ship. She had a little fever and was pale, but at least they had all managed to stop the bleeding, hoping that antibiotics and pain killers would soon improve. The group looked at them hesitantly, they didn’t know what to do. A few minutes had passed and Rick suddenly mumbled to Carol that it might be better to leave. Maybe they were not waiting for anyone anymore, maybe they were already dead, and besides, some Walkers swam closer and closer to the boat. Carol nodded and gestured to the others to prepare the ship. Daryl, his arms crossed over his chest, nodded his head, but you ignored him. The man who wanted to get close to you had to tell you that they couldn’t stay there, they had to go… The group around Rick Grimes didn’t know if there were survivors on the island, but a scream shook the tense silence. “Hey, we’re here!”

Glenn and Daryl hurried to the parapet and leaned forward to look into the water. Glenn reacted first. He threw down the rope again and reached out to help the survivor. Daryl didn’t want to think about this whole situation. Y/N little group had come back like a thunderstorm on a day when the sun was shining. He hated himself because of the fear he felt of not being enough, the fear of being just a substitute. Part of him said it wasn’t like that. This Nick, if he was still alive, was a friend… He understood their relationship, even if he had never seen it. It was rare that he already had friends, let alone female friends, with whom he sometimes had sex. A friend was Carol, but he didn’t go to bed with her. It was a pure friendship, it was different… He realized that he had a more mature friendship. But what if this boy came back while things changed between him and Y/N? You stood on the deck as though paralyzed, your hair still wet with water and your clothes drenched. You had goose bumps and the shirt was completely attached to your body. Daryl didn’t even notice it, he just looked at yout face. Your eyes, your movements, the spasmodic way you bent over to face Glenn. He imagined how much you were waiting for Nick and at the same time Daryl felt protected by this ignorance. Not knowing if death influenced the person he loved… The first person to come aboard was a black-haired, slightly dark-skinned man. He coughed and sat down on the floor to take long breaths. As soon as he recovered, he began to look around to examine all faces. “Where is Madison, And Alicia?”

“She’s in there, she’s resting, she’s lost blood.”,Carol said, nodding toward the bar area. You had not yet satisfied your thirst for knowledge, but at the other end of the rope someone climbed. Glenn reached out to grab him. Carol stepped aside and looked anxiously at Daryl. The man was still studying Y/N’s features and the curiosity of seeing who would turn up on the bridge killed him.

A boy slipped to the ground. He wore a tank top, the same old and drenched as his jeans. He coughed, stumbled a little, clung to the railing and brushed his wet hair from his face. He had dark circles under his eyes and seemed lost in his own world. You covered your mouth with both hands. Slowly he got up. Only a few meters away from you. You waited for Nick’s eyes to look around and identify you. A few seconds passed before he finally saw you. He opened his mouth as if to say something, saw you smile and ran to you. In two long strides he reached you and embraced you tightly. Nick held you close and swung you around for joy. His eyes were puzzled in surprise that his mouth slowly contracted into a smile. With one hand he stroked your wet hair and seemed so surprised that he couldn’t react in any other way. You walked away and both Nick and Daryl could see that you were walking around with a beaming smile of hope. Daryl, however, couldn’t enjoy himself.

“Hey, don’t leave, or should I go again?”, Nick said sarcastically and you gave him a friendly push. “You are such a jerk!” You came back to hug him again and already had your arms outstretched, but Nick put your hands on his chest, approached suddenly and kissed you, stroking your neck and smiled against your lips. “It’s okay. I’m here Y/N.”



Daryl saw this, turned around and disappeared…

Travis leaned over the parapet to watch the waves that formed the tip of the ship. Then he turned to the crew and counted with his fingertips. He went into the commander’s cabin, where he had seen Rick and Y/N shortly before. He realized too late that you were arguing. “Sorry!” The former Sheriff looked at you and tried to understand your state of mind, which wasn’t easy. Often he couldn’t even understand Michonne… “I hope I don’t bother.”

You smiled. “Don’t worry, come in.” Travis quietly closed the door behind him.

“Why don’t you turn on the engines?”

Rick glanced at you as if he was blaming you, then turned to the man. “We save fuel. We are carried by the current, so far it has worked well.”

“Well, I realize what you think of my family, Rick Grimes, but now things have changed, we’re more, the weight has increased, and this boat is for sailing, not for transport a rather aerodynamic shape, it doesn’t resist the water and prevents it from being pushed by the current.”

“We’re not in a hurry.”, Rick replied.

Travis nodded. “Yes, but from experience I can say that life at sea is safer than life in the countryside, we risked more on foot than by boat, so we wanted to get back as soon as possible…” Rick put his hands on his hips. “And what are you suggesting?”, he asked, slightly annoyed.

“Well, I think it’s better to find a bigger boat or another vessel like this so we can travel faster and more comfortably, split into two boats.” You thought about the situation. Rick’s group and Travis’ family, each in a different boat, and you in the middle. A decision you were not ready for or rather one you did not want.

“I think it’s better to find a bigger ship, so we don’t have to split up.”

Rick was the only one who didn’t seem convinced. He also saw that the onslaught on the ocean had slowed down as they had dragged four more people aboard, and he also saw that the privacy of each of them had diminished. Maybe it would have been good to have a bigger boat available, but he didn’t want to be so inferior to the new one. He has set the rules. “We’ll put it to the vote.”, Rick decided. Travis nodded. In Rick’s eyes, he looked confused, as if he was always sad about something. “Alright, Y/N, if you need something…”

“Thanks, Travis.”, you said with a smile.

He embraced you uncertainly and left the cabin, giving Rick one last look. He did not know if he could trust this man. Sometimes he seemed dangerous, he looked like he was ready to do anything for his group. The idea of ​​leaving Y/N alone with him at a time when Rick Grimes didn’t seem particularly relaxed made him nervous. By now Y/N had become like a daughter to him. She has grown older before his eyes, from a teenager to an adult in this crazy world. But they were good people, he knew that it cost them a bit of effort to become who they are. You sighed and turned to look at the river that was coming towards you. Rick flanked you.

“You didn’t tell him.”, you said. “There is no reason, it would only serve to put the two groups against each other.”

“So let’s just talk about our affairs in this group.”

“Yes.” You turned around and looked at him. “I don’t argue about having hesitated to bring them on board, we all did, I understand, we are not like the old days when there were still people you could trust, but Travis and Nick were still out there, Madison had told you, we couldn’t just walk away like that!”

“We didn’t go.”

“But you wanted to do it!”, you snorted and started to go around. “I want you to accept it and understand Rick, now we’re a bigger group! I’m just waiting for you to explain to yourself and the others how to act now. It’s not just your family anymore, now it’s part of mine too.”

“Nobody here knows if your group isn’t dangerous, beware, it’s always good, and you know you’re like a good friend to me by now…”

“You knew that other people come to us and even if they are strangers, they belong to the group of people you just saved and they were part of my group!”

You, whose cheeks had turned pale pink, took a deep breath and tried to ignore the fond words of the former sheriff, although they touched you very much…

“I only expect that we agree, that’s all. Otherwise I will go.” You stepped out of the cabin and took a deep breath. Your loud voice kept anyone who had heard it until you arrived on the other side of the boat, leaning against the parapet.

Survival is essential… Alicia knew enough about you to understand when it was time to switch off and leave you alone, but this time she felt different.

“Are you alright?”, she asked, sitting down to your side.You sighed. “I don’t know.”, you said, rubbing your forehead with one hand.

“Did Travis tell you his idea? He talked to me about it yesterday.”

“Yes, he told us.”

“So you talked to Rick?”

You gave her a guilty look. Unlike Travis and Madison, Alicia and Nick understood you in a jiffy. Maybe because you were all about the same age. You were in a phase of great change for all humanity to face only more changes. It all seemed less bad than it actually was, you felt less alone when you had joined the patchwork family back then.

“I hope it’s not our fault…”, Alicia continued.

“I think I just have extremely stupid hopes…”

“It’s this world, it lets us do things that we should be ashamed of.”

“I know…” For a moment your gaze was lost in the water of the river. “I like it here, I like these people.”, Alicia said, cheering you up. “And I think we have to settle for the whole situation.”

“Hey, is everything okay?” The two of you turned around to the voice that had surprised you. Glenn approached with two fishing poles in his hand. He put one in Alicia’s hand and began putting the bait in the hook. “I thought we made a better impression.” Alicia weighed the staff for a moment and watched him critically. By now, like everyone on board, she was a fishing expert. The difference was that she really liked to fish. It was a moment of relaxation where she could only be for herself. The silence, the wait, the light pull as the prey grabbed the bait. But a cruel practice from the fish’s point of view. People attract fish with the promise of food and then turn it into food themselves. But there was something in the repetition of the gestures, the serenity of what she did, which calmed Alicia. She glanced at Glenn, who had thrown the hook into the sea and looked around. “Where did you learn to fish?”

“None of us knew how to fish, Y/N taught us.”,Glenn replied, pointing to you with a nod.

“If she wasn’t, we would still be looking for food, I never thought about putting the smaller fish aside to use as bait, and you, did you know how to fish?”

“More or less, my grandfather got us fishing when my brother and I were young, a long time ago, and thanks to Victor, I refined the technique.”

“Victor?”

“He was traveling with us.” Alicia pressed her lips together and didn’t add anything, so Glenn didn’t say anything else either. “Previously, the only fish I fish was the plastic fish from some festivals.”

The girl smiled slightly at him. “Yes, I understand you, or if you won something, but it was never enough for what you really wanted, then you got the worst stuff.”

“Yes… But there was Cotton candy.”

“And caramelized apples.”

You noticed that you were no longer actively engaged in the conversation. Obviously, the two got along. But you had doubts about Madison what she thinks over the group of Rick Grimes. You loved Madison like a mother, but you also knew she had a strong character. Just like Carol and Michonne.

“We have to make a decision.”, Rick said as you all gathered around the bar’s round counter. “As Travis has shown me, as you’ve probably already seen, the boat has become much slower. There are two solutions: a larger ship, or a second boat.”Daryl’s stomach contracted. He imagined the scene already, Y/N found a boat and started walking with her group, isolated from the others. Far from him. Together with Nick.

“We should take a more spacious ship.” Carl looked at everyone, ignoring his father. “When a group arrives, we could pretend we’re not there, switch it off and leave it behind, we’ve already done it and it works, some of us can walk on the bridge and pretend it’s deserted. But two moving boats, one right behind the other, would attract the attention, a drifting boat is fine, but two are too great a coincidence.”

“I agree with Carl.”, Travis said. A fleeting smile appeared on his face. He almost immediately sympathized with the boy. They spent a lot of time discussing the books you had taken for him. It was great for Carl to have a real teacher and it was good for Travis to have a student like in the old days. “That would be the best idea.”

“In that case, it would be better to get out and walk on foot.”, Rick said annoyed. “We’ll be faster and better at exploring the area, finding boats, supplies, tools, clothes, all sorts of things we need.”

“But-… ”, Madison said, standing up. “We will be more in danger if we continue on land. Why not continue along the river? We’ll just keep moving if we find a suitable boat at some point.”

“We can not stop every time to check if a boat is available, it would be a waste of time.” Everyone turned to Daryl. It seemed like weeks to you that you had heard his voice last time. You searched for his gaze, but the man deliberately avoided it. He kept an eye on Madison, watching Rick from time to time, but flew his eyes over you and Nick as if the space you were occupying was empty. As if you were invisible and intangible.

“We have to get away from the river to find these things…” You sensed that the argument was taking a long time and intervened: “Daryl is right, Madison, we can not think of finding another boat as long as this one continues here, we need to get out.”

“You saw what happened the last time we went down!”, she said, glaring at you. Strict and distant. There was something resembling a grudge, as if she were accusing you of going to the dark side. “Yeah, but now we’re more people - Rick’s group-…”You glanced at everyone. “…- They’ve been out in the country for years, they know how to defend themselves.”

“You can not defend yourself against anything.”

“Oh, trust me, you can.”, Carol said, her arms crossed, looking thoughtfully at the floor. You turned your eyes to Daryl as if seeking help and for a fraction of a second your eyes met. It was as if he understood, as if he had accepted your request. The man sighed. He wanted to reassure Madison, he wanted to convince her that this was the smartest decision, though not necessarily the safest solution. Above all, he wanted to get you out of the mess, he wanted to help you, to allow your group to integrate. He opened his mouth, but at that moment Nick took a step forward and joined his mother and you. “We need another boat, Travis himself says it, and the only way to find her is to go down and look for one.” The boy sought Alicia’s gaze before Madison wanted to continue and then continued talking. “True, we took risks at other times, but now it’s different, we’re more, there are people who travel outdoors for years, and we should also learn how to do it, just in case.” Nick leaned over his mother and mumbled something. As he moved away from her, he stood near you and exchanged a knowing look with you. Daryl bit his lip annoyed. The quiet way in which you two communicated with each other made him cook inwardly. A communication of looks, funny jokes, giggles. And the unbearable way you touched each other and walked carelessly aside, as if you were used to doing it all the time. As if you felt safe when you were together. A kind of communication that was forged in years of living together. The thought alone irritated Daryl, making him pale with envy. It was not a dissimilar relationship to what he had with Carol when he thought about it. The only difference was that between him and Carol was not the thread of tension between Nick and you. It passed between you, but Daryl could see it clearly, or maybe he wanted to see it… A thread of physical tension… The man shook himself as Rick clapped his hands. “Michonne, Glenn, Carol, Daryl, we are preparing everything for the trip.”, said the former Sheriff, followed closely by Carl. “Dad, how many books can I bring?”

“Just one, when you’re done, we’ll find more, I promise you.”

“But Dad…”

The group dispersed and you stayed in the middle. On one side Rick, on the other Madison. You watched Daryl getting ready to go. “Daryl, wait!” You reached him in a few steps and it seemed the man was reluctant to stop.

Daryl didn’t look you in the eye, instead glancing at the walls of the bar to deal with Nick. He couldn’t resist, though he had tried everything not to look at him. He saw the eyes of the young man talking to his sister but occasionally looking at you as if watching you. Daryl hated the way he looked at you as if he were a dangerous person nearby, as if he might suddenly go crazy and do something to you. He thought for a moment about how this scene appeared in Nick’s eyes… Of all this, you didn’t notice. “I wanted to apologize, I didn’t know-..”

“You don’t have to say anything anymore! Shut the fuck up!” With these words, Daryl turned around and this time left more determined and made no sign to stop again in your vicinity.