Day 12 - Daryl Dixon x F!Reader x Rick Grimes

“It’s all part of the journey, including the ending”

• Words: 1k
• Season: 5/6
• Warnings: none

Hope you enjoy this one!

Masterlist

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They couldn’t look at you, they refused. Maybe if they didn’t look it wasn’t really happening, maybe you wouldn’t be in Alexandria on the bed, a large gash over your torso. You should be dead was the words Denise spoke to them when they came back from the run. “What did we do wrong? How did this happen?” Rick murmured under his breath, rocking in his chair as he held your cold hand. You were dying, or you could be. You lost so much blood they don’t know if you’ll make it through the night. Daryl stared out the window, or looked at the bandages that wrapped around your whole body, they didn’t want to lose you. They had already gone through so much. “She’ll be alright, she’s a fighter” Rick tried to comfort the both of them. Daryl breathed deeply shaking his head, “dunno, might have been too late” he whispered, his voice struggling to even get the words out. Rick sighed deeply, refusing to think like that, refusing to accept that his love, his heart was dying in front of him. “Maybe if I-” Daryl spoke quietly, “we could’ve saved her sooner”

“She’s not gone-”

“Ya see this cut”

“Yeah I see it Daryl- I can’t not see how we failed her. We shouldn’t have let her out of our sight, one of us should have been there. Hell! She shouldn’t have even gone!” Rick cried, tears beginning to pool in his eyes. Your screams of pain are still haunting him, like an alarm bell ringing his ears.

They ended up taking it in turns as you laid motionless on the bed, one slept in the bed surrounded by your scent as the other sat watching your chest rise and fall. The two avoided each other, Rick throwing himself into work and helping the community as Daryl lingered in the background hunting and providing for everyone in another way. Weeks had past and you had shown no sign of improvement. To get the boys some rest/ actually talk to each other Maggie and Glenn took to watching you tonight promising the boys they would get them if anything changed. Daryl shifted through your pack, the bag still filled and covered with blood. It sat on the porch waiting to be sorted so Carol could clean it, neither of them having the gut to sort through it. His fingers brushed against a notebook, the one he gave you at the prison. One that he would often see you leaving against Rick writing in. The cover tattered and folded. The pages were wrinkled and dirty, just an example of how much you had gone through them. He saw charcoal drawings of him and Rick, small poems or thoughts. Sketches of the prison, Merle’s bike. The sketchbook was full of things you had learnt, the pain or happy moments you felt the need to write down. The sun was setting as Rick left the house, he spotted Daryl sat on the swing seat. He sat next to him. Daryl didn’t say anything to him, but passed him the notebook, looking at the man.

Rick flicked through amazed at how you documented your life’s small notes about your love between the two men. He finished the book, his eyes staring at the last page.

‘It’s all part of the journey, including the end

Love Y/n’

Rick let out a choked sob the days of worrying catching up to him. Daryl was already silently crying. The two men sat wanting their half the person that made him whole finally. “I’m sorry- for not talking to you. Not being there for you”

“Me too”

The two men smiled, surprised their greatest weekends not only pulled them apart but held them together. Gave them purpose to wake up, to get up and try harder when they failed.

“RICK, DARYL. SHES AWAKE”

The boys stood up, running instantly with their shoes thudding on the streets of Alexandria. The book still clutched in Rick’s hand as he sprinted. They were met with your laughter, weak but still there as you spoke to Maggie. “Shit- the guy cut me badly didn’t he” you laughed lightly. “You almost died, you should have seen Rick and Daryl. Like lost puppies”

“I wish I did, god I could hear them and I wished I could just help them”

Maggie smiled, the group was confused when you fell in love with both of them. But it became normal, special. Watching a family form so closely warmed them, helped them continue on. “Hey boys” you smiled as they entered the room. They didn’t speak, just stared at you like you were the last thing on earth. “What do I have on my face”

Maggie stood and left, leaving the three of you alone. Once she left they slowly approached, smiling as they got closer. Their eyes are still raw and red from moments ago. “You’re okay?”

“I’m okay”

“We found ya book”

You smiled, nodding. “It was so I had a memory of everything, so if I lost you or anyone I could still see their faces. Hoping one day we had a place like this so we could decorate the house with them.” you said. The boys nodded, you scooted to the middle of the bed, allowing them to lay with you as you flicked through the book.

“We thought you were gonna die” Rick said, his lips kissing the top of your head.

“I might have, but you would still have this”

“I’d prefer to keep you” Daryl muttered, a kiss falling on your temple. The two of them finally resting, holding you close. When Maggie came by to check on you she found you looking through your book with a small smile on your face as you looked at all the memories you captured. She watched as the two boys held you close, protectively as you sat there. A sight comforting for many.