What was she supposed to do? What a ridiculous situation to be put, having to choose between your brother and the man you want to be with!

Terry stared at her brother who returned her gaze. Both of them had their arms folded and the look on their faces indicated that they were fighting over something. Because of the recent happening, it was obvious about what it was. He wanted her to come with him now and leave these people behind forever or until they show up in New York someday. She was indecisive and didn't know what she wanted to do.

Even though she loved her brother, they were different people now. He was still the bratty man that she had grown up with, obsessed with luxury and style that he had acquired in his adulthood. She was no longer the diva, the girl who had tried so hard to become what she had thought everyone wanted and who manipulated those who didn't seem to accept her for who she wasn't. She had never before felt so liberated and she definitely didn't miss the glamorous lifestyle.

But she knew that if she allowed him to leave, she would never stop thinking about him. Worrying whether he was dead or alive. Even though he had managed to survive this long, he hadn't been on his own and she had a hunch that he didn't know how to use a weapon. After all, the kind of people they had been in New York would never get their hands dirty, even if it was in an attempt to stay alive.

"I'll get them to stay for a while longer. But we're not going to wait forever for you, Wynnie. I hope you make the right decision."

With those words her brother left the room, leaving Terry's thoughts to continue as she tried to weigh the pros and cons. Both staying and leaving had enormous cons, ones that she wished that she wouldn't have to face. If only there was a way so that she could have the best of both worlds. The comfort and security of living in the prison with Daryl and the action that would come with traveling with her brother. But even if she was able to mesh the two together, it wouldn't work out. Daryl and Ryan would never get along, no matter how much she wanted it to happen.

"Terry? Ya okay?"

She looked up to see the friendly face of Maggie Greene. It was almost as if a weight was lifted off of her heart when she realized that she could talk to the girl about her situation. If she didn't have to make the decision on her own, she would be able to feel a little better. If she would have leaned on Ryan or Daryl, had he been present, she knew that it would have been a biased point of view. She liked to think that Maggie would give her honest opinion.

"I don't know what to do, Maggie," Terry started, watching as her friend took a seat next to her. "You know that they're leaving, Ryan and his group?"

Maggie shook her head, having been unaware of the fact that Ryan had been planning on leaving. Of course she had noticed that there was a group outside, the whole commotion had gotten everyone out in the court, throwing distrustful glances towards the group. But the fact that Terry's brother was leaving had completely passed her. Although she wasn't going to admit it to Terry, she was a bit relieved that the redhead was leaving. He was a mean spirited person who seemed to enjoy talking down to pretty much everyone that wasn't his sister.

"He wants me to go with him, back to New York."

So that was the problem. No wonder Terry wasn't looking too hot. She was being forced to choose between her brother and Daryl. Maggie tried to imagine being in a similar position, having to choose between Glenn and her family. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't imagine leaving her father and Beth. Even though she loved Glenn and wanted to be with him, there was no way that she would leave her family. Especially since they needed her more than Glenn would ever need her.

"I don't want to lose my brother again, Maggie. I already went through losing him, thinking that he was dead in Atlanta. And then suddenly, poof! He's alive and he's just around the corner and I'm so happy that my brother is alive. Disappointed that he still is a massive asshole, but still happy."

The two women laughed at the last sentence.

"But he's leaving right away. These men come knocking up on the gate and they want him to come with them. He wants me to come with him. I don't want to have to think about what happened to my brother for the rest of my life, just because I-" Terry paused, wondering what the right words would be. "Want to be with Daryl."

"I don't think I can tell you what to do, Terry. This is your decision," Maggie said, trying her best to not give her two cents. "You did look happy here with us, before your brother but you also look happy to have him around. Just try to figure out which decision you would regret less, which one you're least likely to blame someone for your choices."

Blame someone? She hadn't planned on blaming anyone but she knew that it could happen. What if she stayed with Daryl and sometime down the road she would begin to resent him? What if she would be stupid enough to act like it was his fault that she decided to stay with him instead of going with her brother? She wouldn't want to turn up that way but she worried that it would happen that way, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it.

What if she left with Ryan? Would she be able to blame him for her leaving Daryl? Although she was sure that she wouldn't be happy with it, Ryan was her brother. The only family she had left and if she left with him, she would at least be able to keep her family name living for the time being.

Blood is thicker than water.

Her father had always told them that they had to stick together. They were Argalls and the rest of the world was filled with strangers. Argalls were supposed to stick together. It was funny that her father had said that, since he had been the one who left Ireland in order to move to New York. It wasn't like he had decided to stay with his family in Ireland. Although, when he had left Ireland, at least they had ways to communicate between countries. Terry and Ryan would have no way to keep in touch, once he left.

"I won't be able to find another brother if he leaves," she muttered to herself, trying to coax her heart into leaving. It was for the best, she told herself. Even though she would never be able to find another Daryl, she would be able to find another man to care for. You can find another right hand. She lied to herself, desperately trying to do the right thing. Family first, that was the right thing. She stood up and began throwing her things into her duffle bag. Most of the things were scattered around the cell she had been staying in for what felt like forever.

"It's the right thing to do in the long run, right?" she said, looking at Maggie with a pleading expression.

Maggie couldn't help but feel terrible when she saw how hard Terry was trying to suppress emotions that were about to break through. She nodded, supporting Terry's decision. She would have done the same thing, chosen her family over her loved one, at least theoretically. Her eyes stayed on the blonde as she packed up her things. Maggie didn't want to see her go. She was a likable person, someone that had no need to gossip all the time and one of the few women who didn't act like they needed someone to defend them.

"I would have done the same," Maggie said, her voice betraying her reassuring smile.

Terry picked up Pride and Prejudice, carefully observing the old, worn out book. In a way she had viewed Daryl as a redneck version of Mr. Darcy. He was cold and difficult to approach unless you had earned his respect. The way he treated her made her feel like Lizzy in the later chapters. Earning the affections of someone who was so cold and difficult to approach was an achievement of some sort. Although Daryl had never been particularly nasty to hear like Mr. Darcy had been to Lizzy, she still liked to compare him to her own, personal Mr. Darcy.

She placed the book on to the bed she had been sleeping on, deciding to leave it. She didn't figure Daryl to be much of a reader but she was sure that someone would appreciate the book. She looked at Maggie and smiled weakly, happy that there had been someone to talk to. She put the bag on her back and she picked up the machete, which had become her signature weapon.

Silently, the two women walked away from the cell, both of them certain that they couldn't say much before their silly emotions got the best of them.

"Tell me you're getting rid of those vile men." Those were the first words Terry was greeted with when she met the rest of the group close by the gates. At the other side the group that Ryan belonged to was chattering loudly, some of the men obviously drunk. Lori was fed up with the noisiness that the men were bringing and she wanted them gone, pronto. She had been so upset with them that she had failed to notice the fact that Terry looked as if she was ready to leave.

"Where are you going Terry?"

Carl was the first one to notice that Terry had packed up her things and she was wearing them on her back. He had always thought that she was pretty cool, especially since she had lost her hand. She was a nice lady too, never talking down to him or telling him what to do. His words directed everyone's attention towards Terry and they all seemed to notice the bag now.

"I'm going home, with my brother," she answered.

"You're leaving?"

Terry wasn't able to tell whether Carol was relieved or disheartened by the news. She liked to believe that she was going to miss having her around; that Carol had grown to like her. She wasn't going to mention it though, in fear of making the goodbye into some sort of dramatic scene.

"Yes. My brother wants me to come with them to New York. He doesn't want to leave me behind."

There were a few members of the group that shifted their posture, obviously uncomfortable with the idea of her leaving. There were a few of them that didn't believe that she really wanted to go but none of them felt it was their place to tell her to stay with them. If there was anyone who was entitled to tell her to not go, it was Daryl.

"Daryl's still gone?" T-Dog asked, the realization that the redneck wasn't in the area.

"Guess so," Terry said, slightly relieved that he wasn't there. She wasn't sure if she would have been able to go through with leaving if he was there. "Haven't seen him come in or anything. Only thing happening around the gate was them arriving," she said, motioning towards the group. The idea of telling Daryl that she was going to leave made her stomach turn, anxiety forming just at the thought.

"You're going to leave without saying goodbye to him?" Glenn asked. If he had been Daryl, he would have at least liked a chance to try and change her mind. But then again, Daryl didn't function like everyone else. Maybe he wouldn't even want to be there when she was leaving.

"They're not going to wait for Daryl to get back," Terry said. "Even if I wanted to say goodbye to him, he's the one who left the prison. It isn't my fault that they aren't going to wait so I can say goodbye."

"I'll tell him," Maggie offered, knowing that no one was going to want to inform the redneck that Terry had left. "Next time I see him, I'll tell him that you had to leave right away or stay here."

Terry smiled genuinely, happy that there was someone who would do the dirty work. The fact that it was Maggie made it better, since she had been the one present when Terry made up her mind. The others wouldn't know how to tell him, they wouldn't know what the reason behind her decision was and they wouldn't even know where to begin in an attempt to explain to him. Maggie would have at least some idea.

"We'll miss having you around," Rick admitted.

"Right, I believe you," Terry said, acting as if she didn't believe him. She then winked, causing some of the members of the group to titter. "It's not like I've been a magnet for trouble or anything."

An uncomfortable silence took over after her words and it continued as she hugged the members of the group, thanking them for allowing her to stay with them. She made it a point to thank Hershel, Maggie and Glenn the most, considering the three of them the most honest of the group. At least towards her. By the time she pulled away from Carl, the group at the other side of the gate was egging her to hurry up so they could get going.

"Are they sure they don't want to wait 'till morning? Traveling in the dark isn't exactly a good idea," Rick suggested.

"I don't think they care about the darkness. They probably just want to get away as soon as possible."

"Thank you all for everything. I am forever grateful," she said as she began to walk out of the gate that had been opened after her hugging everyone. By now she had her emotions well under control and she was able to smile at the group that she was going to be leaving behind. She had been able to push the thought of Daryl out her mind, which had been the reason why she had been able to control her emotions.

"Good to see you chose me over that fucking redneck shit," Ryan said, placing an arm on to his sister's shoulder. "Da did always say that blood runs thicker than water."

"What do ya mean she's gone?"

"Daryl, she left."

"Ya'll better not be playin' some dumb game. 'S she mad at me fer callin' her brother a spudnigger? Tryin' to teach me a lesson?"

"Daryl, she left with her brother. They were going back home."

Daryl's expression changed from mild annoyance to apprehension. He hadn't believed that Terry would just up and leave. Not without saying a word to him but the look on Maggie's face seemed to tell a different story.

"They wouldn't wait for you to return so that she could tell you herself. She had to make a decision. Daryl, it was really hard for her to make up her mind. But you know what they say, blood runs-"

"Thicker than water. Don't need some bitch tellin' me that," Daryl said, turning away from Maggie and walking right back out of the gate. "Don't give a shit if she decided to leave. Didn't care 'bout her anyway."

Didn't care about her anyways. That was what he had said to Maggie and that was what he had been telling himself.

How come he was in her cell then, lying in her bed weeks after her departure? Why did that stupid book she was reading intrigue him? There was no trace that she had been in that room besides the bed that still bore a hint of her scent and that dumb book that he was playing with in his hands. Anyone else wouldn't be able to tell that she had ever been there at all.

"The hell do they know," he muttered as he turned on to his side and opened up the book.

This book belongs to Terrwyn Argall
Christmas gift from Uncle Seán, 1999
"Something to keep you going through Y2K."

"Argall," Daryl muttered, realizing that he had never known her last name. Not that it mattered much in the world they lived in. Last names no longer separated one person from another. It could separate families from the rest of the world. Ryan and Terry were Argalls. Daryl and Merle were Dixons. They were supposed to stay together, families. If he had been in the same position as she had been, Merle returning and causing trouble at the prison, he would have left too. He would have tried to keep her safe from his brother, even if it meant leaving her.

But there was an emptiness that he had never felt before now that she was gone.

Suddenly feeling something hard under the pillow, Daryl reached under and pulled out an odd looking stick.

"God damn it Terry, what the fuck did you eat last night?"

"Same thing you did, dickface," the blonde said, hitting the man standing by her side.

She spit once more for good measure, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get the taste of vomit out of her mouth. The last few days had been the same. Sometimes she would be able to chuck up the contents of her stomach, other times she was left gagging, trying to get the nausea to leave her body.

"Guess we should try and hurry up to New York," Ryan suggested with a grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" Terrwyn asked, straightening her posture.

"You know what I mean," the redhead said as he began walking, leaving his sister to catch up with him. "Looks like you got knocked up by that fucking-"

"Don't you dare."

"Redneck."

Terrwyn sighed, regretting the decision she had made weeks ago. She found herself wishing that she had never found her brother, knowing that that would have been the only way to prevent her from leaving the prison. She couldn't help but wonder if things had gone different, had Daryl shot the two men that had been sitting on the roof when they first entered the damn town. Ryan had revealed that those men had led them into the town.

When she had revealed that she had considered asking Daryl to shoot the men down, Ryan had laughed and called it a simple twist of fate.

She cringed at the phrase her brother had used. She couldn't stand Bob Dylan and it had just happened that she had always hated that stupid song. She looked at her brother, wondering if he had used that phrase on purpose, in an attempt to get on her nerves. She looked down as she placed her hand on her stomach. She had never remembered to check that damn stick before she left.

Another stupid twist of fate.

A/n: This is the end of A Simple Twist of Fate. I know it's short but I had always planned it to end this way. HOWEVER, I can't let Terry and Daryl have a unhappy ending. If you are not happy with this ending, let me know and I will notify you when I get around to writing the sequel that I have in mind. I won't be as long as this, but I'm dying to give a glimpse into the things that take place when Terry is in New York. I might even do just a few chapters here and there that take place at random time periods, sometimes years after this takes place.

Anyways, thank you all for being lovely. I want to thank those that have reviewed, I love you guys! (Alina Maxwell, Emberka-2012, Leyshla Gisel, GatorGirl99, Chachi94 and JavaNut, you all are awesome!)