There was that one time, when (prt 5)

There was that one time, when Daryl had involuntarily been spending time with the biker-boys. He had lost Beth and was on his own. They had forced him to join them and live by their rules. He fell back into "old Daryl" mode. Adapted to the agression, the dominance they wanted to establish and bowed down to the Alpha male. They stipped him of the few possesions he had. But he had kept his dignity and his crossbow. The first few days he used to observe his captors. To find some routine, hyarchie, rules or codes these men lived by. Weakspots he knew they all would have. He found a few and kept to himself.

He remembered what he had learned during his time with the prison group and although all of them might be dead now, that didn't mean he had to forget. But being the better person with these kind of guys meant getting killed, so he went along with them. Frequently he recalled what living with Merle was like. "What would Merle do?", was a question he asked himself often in order to give the right response to a request or situation. It took every ounce of his being to survive living with these people, who's mindset was so far removed from his own.

Along their way they had seen the "Terminus" signs. The Alpha male decided it would be a good idea to visit this place. Check it out, to see if there was any good loot to be found. He was looking for an excuse to make trouble and start a fight. These guys lived on adrenaline. "Why hurt yourself, when you can hurt other people?", was the running motto of this crew.

The journey along the tracks was long and boring. Plants had grown wild, the tracks were whitered and had been unused for years. It had been hot; water was scarce. Daryl had been running on empty. The thought of just ending it all was very tempting during these days. The men wouldn't leave him alone, beat him, take stabs at him, tried to get as much information out of him as possible, but he hadn't said a word. He didn't give them anything. In his mind, Daryl had killed the Alpha a hundred times over. If he would check out of this world, at least that motherfucker was coming with him.

Terminus turned out to be a walled colony. The gates opened as soon as they knocked and yelled hello. They stepped inside the big courtyard and the first thing Daryl noticed was how many people were there. He hadn't seen so many living people in the same place for years. There seemed to be a market going on, hustle and bustle of salesmen and women and customers trying to find whatever it was they were looking for. There were animals, chickens, dogs, horses. On the left seemed to be a some sort of carpark. On the right was an area with halls, probably living or sleeping quarters. Straight ahead was the tallest building which Daryl figured would be some sort of cityhall.

The Alpha didn't like any of this. Too many people, too orginised. They would stand out like a sore thumb amd at the fist sign of trouble, they would be thrown out anyway. He wanted the group to turn around and leave immediately. Daryl hadn't even processed what he was seeing when the Alpha was already rounding them up to leave. Daryl was in confusion, the rest of the group was argueing with the Alpha, trying to convince him to change his mind, when suddely, out of the murmurs from aournd him, he heard something familiar.

"Da...Daryl...Daryl, is that you?!" It came from behind him. He didn't need to look around to know who it was. He was no longer alone. He was no longer lonely and scared. He was no longer an outcast. He was no longer helpless and defenseless. He was no longer suspicious, mistrustfull and onguard. He was no longer unloved, unknown and anonymous. He was no longer sad, frustrated and desparate. He turned around with his head down, his bottomlip starting to tremble. He took a few steps, before he fell down on his knees in front of Carol. Arms out, she caught him, before he could hurt himself on the cobblestones. He sobbed in her arms, releasing all the anger and hurt that had accumulated over the past weeks after Carol's banishment and the fall of the prison.

Through his tears he saw the rest of them. Rick, holding baby Judith, Carl and Tyreese. He had found his family again. He knew he would be alright.