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Safe Haven in the Chaos	By : IdrilsSecret Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 6520 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the walking dead or any of the characters. No money is being made from the writing of these stories

Chapter List
- 57
- 58
- 59
Chapter 58 Do Something

Aaron was back at the Hilltop community. He brought with him new life and new death. Maggie swooped in and took the baby, fed her, changed her, and put her down for a nap. Aaron and a few others went to work in the cemetary. A grave was dug, and a small ceremony was held for Caleb. It was near the end of the day. The sun would be setting soon, and Aaron sat next to the newly dug earth. He had found some stones, and placed him in the shape of a cross on the grave. Thinking back, Caleb had mentioned once, a memory of attending church with his mother, and how he had a crush on a girl in the choir. Aaron thought a cross was appropriate.

“Hey,” Enid said softly. She approached carrying a handful of wild flowers.

“Hi Enid,” Aaron said, forcing a smile.

She placed the flowers above the cross, and sat down next to Aaron. Then she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice sounding slightly hoarse.

“Yeah, me too,” Aaron whispered. Enid let go and rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let him come. I knew the moment I gave in to him that I was making a bad decision.”

“Caleb wanted to go. He told me how he wanted to be a part of it. He’d always been the one being protected, and I think it was his way of growing up.”

“And now he’s gone,” Aaron said. “I should have said no. I should have made him stay behind.”

“He was going to go with or without your permission,” Enid admitted. “He had a plan in place if you said no. One way or another, he was going to be a part of the fight.”

Knowing this didn’t make matters any better. The fact was, Caleb was gone, Aaron felt responsible for his death, and he was furious with Daryl for not being here.

“So, how did you and Daryl get to know Caleb?” Enid asked.

The last thing he felt like doing was talking about Daryl, but he let go of the present to remember the past. “We were out recruiting and came across a group of some really bad guys. They captured us. Caleb was there too. We tried to escape. Things got messy. Caleb ended up being the one who saved us.” Aaron closed his eyes and shook his head back and forth with disappointment. “I couldn’t even return the favor.” He covered his eyes with his hand and started to cry. Never had he felt as alone as he did now, even with Enid there. She stayed to comfort him in his moment of grief.

There was some kind of commotion at the gate. Aaron and Enid left the cemetary to see what was happening. Jesus and Tara had arrived, but much to everyone’s surprise, they brought company.

“Oh shit,” Aaron said under his breath.

“Are those … Saviors from the satellite outpost?” Enid asked nervously. “Maggie isn’t going to like this.”

Sure enough, Maggie came storming out of the great house, stopping Jesus in his tracks. “What are they doing here?”

“These are workers from the outpost. They weren’t armed. They weren’t a part of the fight. I’m taking a chance here, but I think they–”

“They’re not allowed inside,” Maggie insisted. She glanced at Tara, who threw her arms up.

“I didn’t agree either, but I was outvoted,” Tara said.

“What are we supposed to do with them?” Maggie argued. “We barely have enough food to feed our own people, and now you want me to let in these … murders? Feed them? Shelter them? You really think they would have done the same for us?”

“I don’t know,” Jesus rebutted. “But I’m willing to be the people who do offer that. We have to start making a change. We can’t kill them all. There are a lot of innocent people who just got caught up in our war.”

Aaron listened to the argument, and he was glad to hear someone else who felt the same as he did. Daryl wouldn’t listen. His mind was already made up. He was turning into someone just as bad as the people who hurt him. Aaron’s mind flashed back to the boy he killed. Daryl shot him without a second thought. It was wrong. It was murder, nothing short of what Negan had done to Glenn and Abraham. For the first time since he met Daryl, he was scared of him.

After much back and forth arguing, Maggie agreed to allow the Saviors to stay, but they had to remain outside of the gates. Jesus agreed and recruited a couple people to guard them in shifts. It was for everyone’s safety that the group was guarded. If they left, they could alert other outposts. And while they stayed, they were vulnerable to walkers.

“You want to help out?” Paul asked Aaron, looking for other people to take a shift.

“Sure, I’ll take the night shift,” Aaron agreed. He knew he wouldn’t be sleeping anyways.

“Great,” Paul smiled. “I’m glad you’re on my side about this.”

“I’m glad I’m not alone in my opinion,” Aaron said. They were both armed and making their way to the gate.

“I take it Daryl doesn’t feel the same?”

Aaron was silent a moment before answering. “Daryl is on his own now.” It hurt to say it.

“What do you mean?” Paul asked curiously.

Aaron shook his head with disgust. “He’s … not himself anymore. He wants to kill everyone, and I don’t.”

“There seems to be a lot of disagreement about that. Tara and I don’t agree–”

“He shot a boy without even a blink of an eye,” Aaron interrupted. “The kid was innocent. I could tell he wasn’t lying. He was scared, no weapon, not a threat to any of us. He even offered to show Rick where the artillery was being kept at the chemical plant. And Daryl just . . .”

“On my God,” Paul said in shock. “Maybe it was because of what happened to Caleb.”

Aaron stopped walking and stared at Paul. He hadn’t spoken to anyone about Caleb except . . .

“Maggie told me. I’m so sorry to hear this. Caleb was a great kid, and I know how close you were. If you need anything … anything at all, don’t hesitate.”

“I appreciate that, Paul. Thanks for being a great friend.”

>>------->

Paul and Aaron pulled guard duty most of the night. There were no incidents to report, and everything had been fairly quiet. Aaron had been quiet too, concentrating on his duty. It was still dark when the other two guards showed up to relieve them. Paul and Aaron went back inside the gates, turned in their weapons, and stopped by the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. Not finding much, they settled for a hidden bottle of Gregory’s scotch. Paul knew where it was stashed, but to their disappointment, there was only enough for a half glass each.

“Better than nothing,” Paul said. “Do you know where you’re staying tonight?”

“I thought I’d take the trailer,” Aaron said.

“Hope you don’t mind a roommate,” Paul said, taking a sip of the scotch.

“I doubt Maggie will mind. We’ve bunked up before.”

“Actually, Maggie is in the big house now that she’s running things around here. I gave her my old room. I’m in the trailer.”

Aaron didn’t care where he slept. He shrugged his shoulders. “That’s fine,” he said nonchalantly.

“Won’t Daryl be jealous to find out?” Paul asked, making sure there wouldn’t be a problem.

Aaron downed the glass of whiskey, forgetting to pace himself since this was all the booze they had. “Like I said, Daryl’s on his own now.” He set the glass on the counter, and left the kitchen, heading for the front door. He was exhausted and needed to get a couple hours of sleep before another day came crashing down on him. There was no telling what would happen when the sun came up.

Once in the trailer, they entered into polite conversation, which turned to reminiscing about people they lost, ending with the most recent loss of Caleb. Aaron loosened up and told Paul the story of how they met Caleb, going into much more detail than he had with Enid. She didn’t need to know all the gory details, but Paul could handle it.

“So, where did you guys go when you escaped that place? Sounds like you were a long way from Alexandria,” Paul mentioned. He’d been paying close attention.

Aaron thought about it a moment. He had never told anyone about the cabin. Only Daryl and Caleb knew. Now, it seemed like there wasn’t much need to keep it a secret any more. “Daryl and I had a place, a cabin. We stumbled upon it when we were out scavenging one day. It was before we were … together. It wasn’t far from where we were, and Caleb needed some time to come to terms with what those men did to him.”

Paul nodded and smiled. “That’s funny. Me and Alex, we had a place. Nothing as fancy as a cabin. It was more of a shack. He would meet me there sometimes, when I couldn’t get back to Hilltop.”

“Couldn’t or didn’t want to?” Aaron questioned. He regretted it automatically. “I’m sorry.”

“No. You’re right. I don’t know. Sometimes I just needed to be … me. I can’t always do that here. It’s better now, but there was a time when I didn’t want anyone knowing my personal business,” Paul explained.

“That’s what it was like for Daryl and I. It was before anyone knew about us … about Daryl. Even after everyone knew, we’d still go there from time to time, just to get away,” Aaron reminisced. His demeanor turned somber. “That was then. Things aren’t like that anymore. I’m not sure we’ll ever go back to being that couple.”

“Can I ask, what happened?” Paul said to get Aaron to open up.

The scene played out before Aaron’s eyes. “There was a moment, when he had his gun aimed at that kid. Daryl hesitated. There was no way to get the gun from him. The only thing I could think to do was to threaten him. I told him that if he shot the boy, don’t come home. I thought we were more important than killing someone, but the gun went off, the boy was dead, and Daryl marched off like it was just another normal day. But … it was the look he gave me right before we went our separate ways. I’ve never seen him look at me like that before. There was so much hate and rage, and I think a lot of it was aimed toward me for not backing him up. That’s when I knew, I’d lost him. Since we met, I’ve tried so hard to pull him from his dark place, and it worked, but what I saw yesterday was the actions of a man I’ve never met before. I knew Daryl had his struggles, and I’ve known about his demons since the beginning, but this was something altogether different. He was … he was the demon this time. It was like he’d been consumed by the things he’d run from his whole life, and he was no different than the people who hurt him.”

“I wish there was something I could do or say,” Paul said. “You and Daryl were always solid.” He hesitated to tell him the next part, but he felt it needed saying. “I know that look you mentioned. I … I saw it too once, when I found him at the Sanctuary. I came around the corner, and found Daryl beating this guy to death with a pipe. It was obvious the guy was dead, but he just kept slamming the pipe down onto his head. I called out to him a couple times before he finally looked up at me, and I saw what you just described. It scared me too, but I knew I had to get him out of there before Negan and the others found us.”

“He’s snapped and I don’t know how to bring him back from this,” Aaron admitted. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get him back.”

“Maybe it will change after we take down Negan. After all, he’s the reason for all of this in the first place. Once we regain order and implement a new way of doing things, maybe Daryl can start to heal. I just can’t let myself believe that after all you two have been through, there’s no going back to what you had. He loves you, Aaron, and that has to mean something to him. He’ll remember and you’ll get him back.”

Aaron smiled at Paul and nodded, but deep down he had to wonder if Daryl could come back from this. And then he wondered if he could ever look at Daryl without thinking of those dangerous empty eyes.

>>------->

It had only been a few hours when Aaron woke up. He’d slept on the couch in his clothes, insisting that he wouldn’t take Paul's bed, even after Paul politely insisted. He looked over to the bed and saw that Paul was still asleep. Aaron stood from the couch, stretched, looked out the window and saw a messenger running across the yard with a couple letters in his hand. Quickly, Aaron put his shoes on, moving soundlessly. He didn’t want to wake Paul. Then he snuck out of the trailer, and made his way to the great house to find out what news had come from the others. He felt his heart beating out of his chest, hoping there wasn’t anything bad about Daryl in those letters.

Maggie was in her office with the door closed, so Aaron hung around in the front room. While he waited, Alex came down the stairs. He hesitated on the last couple steps when he saw Aaron.

“Hello,” Alex said quietly before receding the rest of the way down the stairs. He seemed reluctant to speak to Aaron, but that was no surprise. Alex had always been jealous of Aaron and Paul's friendship, even when Aaron assured him countless times that there was nothing to worry about.

“Hey Alex,” Aaron answered in a grave tone. He didn’t feel like dealing with him at the moment.

“Waiting to see Maggie?” Alex asked to make conversation.

“A messenger just showed up with news,” Aaron said. “I’m just waiting to hear what’s happening with the others.

Alex looked like he was going to go on his way, but he stopped and stood still a moment. “I was really sad to hear about your friend Caleb. You know, if there was anything I could have done for him, I would have.”

“That’s kind of your job,” Aaron responded unkindly, but he felt bad right away. “Sorry. I mean, thanks for your condolences.”

Alex stuck his nose in the air, not accepting Aaron’s apology, but if he wanted to start something, Aaron would shut him down quickly.

The front door opened, and Paul rushed in. “There you are. Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You slept together?” Alex accused from the other side of the room. Paul hadn’t seen him when he came.

“Alex?” Paul said, surprised.

Aaron was in no mood, and decided to screw with Alex. He smiled at Paul. “You were sound asleep, and you looked adorable snuggled up under the blankets.”

Paul's head whipped around so fast, Aaron thought he would injure himself. Alex made an obvious gasping noise. Aaron felt like he accomplished something. Any time he could get Alex riled up was an added bonus. “He took the bed. I took the couch. Nothing happened. You’re just being dick,” Aaron said.

Alex postured himself and took a step toward Aaron. “You son of b–”

Paul grabbed his arm in a tight grip, making Alex wince. “Leave him alone, Alex,” Paul warned. “It’s not a good time.”

Alex glanced down at Paul's hand around his arm and quirked a flirty brow. “I like when you take charge.”

Paul released him and huffed with displeasure toward Alex’s response. “Not now,” Paul berated.

“That’s not what you said a couple nights ago,” Alex said seductively.

Just then, Maggie came out of her office and saw everyone standing around. The previous conversation was forgotten as all attention turned to Maggie. “The Kingdom group was ambushed at the chemical plant,” she said somberly.

“Shit,” Aaron said under his breath. “How many?”

“Carol, Ezekiel and Jerry were the only ones who survived,” Maggie informed.

“The whole group?” Jesus said with disbelief.

“What happened?” Aaron asked with concern.

“The fifty calibers,” Maggie answered.

“Shit,” Aaron said quietly. “Rick and Daryl were on their way there to obtain the guns. Have you heard from them?” Aaron asked. As horrible as things were between Aaron and Daryl, he still worried.

“Carol heard Daryl’s bike roaring off into the distance. Negan’s men got away with the guns. Rick and Daryl were going after the truck with the artillery,” Maggie told him. “That’s all I know.”

“So what’s the plan?” Jesus asked.

“Everything is still the same. Negan is trapped at the Sanctuary. We have snipers covering the place in case anyone comes to help them escape. The Kingdom was successful in taking out their assigned posts until they arrived at the chemical plant. And we have captured people from the satellite station. It was rough, but phase one is complete.”

“The next step, Rick goes to the dump and tries to convince Jadis to fight for us,” Jesus said.

“I don’t see how that’s going to happen,” Aaron commented. He remembered the long discussion when they were drawing up the plans. Not many of them agreed with Rick, saying it was going to be a waste of time. Aaron was one of them.

“He said he wasn’t going to leave until they agreed,” Jesus said.

Perseverance, Aaron thought, did not always pan out well. Daryl was a good example of that. Aaron had been patient with him, but he slipped right back into his old ways and maybe worse.

“So we’re in a holding pattern for now, waiting to get word from Rick. Hopefully, the Sanctuary will start to crumble when no food or supplies are coming in. Negan will lose power and control over his people. The workers will retaliate. Maybe they’ll kill him too,” Maggie said. “But I hope not. I’d like to be around to see that for myself.”

“Well, I have some business to take care of,” Jesus announced. “Aaron, if you’re around later and you want to talk . . .”

Aaron tried to smile, but it was forced. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Actually, Maggie, if you have a moment?”

“Sure, come on in,” she said.

“I’ll wait here for you,” Enid said, staying outside of the office.

Aaron followed Maggie and closed the door behind him. He had a seat and waited for Maggie to do the same. “Something you want to discuss?”

“I just need an ear to bend,” Aaron said.

“Was Caleb taken care of?” she asked.

“Yes, and they had a nice service for him. Brief but nice. Oh, but I’m not complaining. I’m still in shock over the whole thing. I mean, one minute we’re talking and the next … he’s just gone.”

“And Daryl, how’s he taking it?” she asked.

“Not good at all. He’s … changed, Maggie. He’s all hate and rage all the time. He’s not the same man.”

“I’m sure when the war is over–”

“No, I don’t think so,” Aaron interrupted. “Too much has happened to him. You know, when we first met, he told me he was broken. I didn’t believe it, of course, but now I’m beginning to think he’s always been like this. I was able to keep him in the light, but maybe he’s always belonged to the dark. Anyways, he’s full on blackout. I told him not to come back, and I think he’s going to take me seriously this time. I miss him, Maggie. And I miss Caleb. That sweet good hearted kid, I miss him so much. I just lost the two most important people in my life, and I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m so sorry, Aaron. I know it hurts, and unfortunately there’s no end to that pain. It’s more about learning to cope with it until it begins to fade, but it will never completely leave you,” she told him. “Sometimes it helps to do something. It’s good for your soul. That’s what my daddy always said.” Aaron could see the pain she carried for Glenn and her father as she spoke. She put on a smile for reassurance. “But at least you have Daryl. I know you’re on the outs right now, but you have to hold on to hope that he survives this test, and that he will find his former self.”

“I will always hope for that outcome,” he said.

There was a knock on the door, and Cal, one of Maggie’s people came in to speak with her about the prisoners and their food rations. Aaron heard them talking, but he wasn’t listening. He was thinking of what Maggie said about doing something to make up for pain and loss. He felt that his talents were being wasted sitting around here. He was weighing the odds of their plan going forward. The Kingdom was a big part of that, but their entire army was destroyed. Rick was trying to bring Jadis and her people into the war, but Aaron was afraid that wasn’t going to pan out very well. He had met them before, and no one could force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. There was still one other community that hadn’t been considered, and that was because it was too dangerous to go there.

Oceanside had a large community, and though they said they wouldn’t help, Aaron wasn’t completely convinced of this. When Rick confronted them, it wasn’t a very good situation to begin with. Alexandria stormed into their camp and forcibly took all of their guns from them, leaving them with a flimsy promise to return their weapons once Rick was done with them. When asked to join the fight against Negan, they were bitter and refused to get involved for fear of losing what little they had left. There were little, if no negotiations. Maybe Aaron could turn that around. If he could convince Oceanside to join the fight, they would have the numbers again. There was just one problem. Oceanside was very protective of their people and their home. No one got the slightest bit close to their camp without being killed. Tara had been there, but that was a one-time only deal. Aaron was risking his life to go there.

He excused himself and left Maggie’s office. Heading toward the front door, he didn’t notice Enid following him out. Once he was out in the yard, she caught up to him.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I got something I need to do.” He continued to his car without stopping to talk.

“Let me come with you,” she said.

“No,” he answered quickly. He reached the car and considered the broken window where Caleb had been sitting when he was killed. “Definitely not,” he assured. He couldn’t take this car so he started to go back to the house to ask Maggie to loan him one of her cars.

“I don’t know where you’re going, but you probably shouldn’t go alone,” Enid insisted as she trotted behind him.

Aaron reached the steps leading up to the door. “I’m not going to risk getting someone else killed.” As he reached for the doorknob, the door opened and Aaron and Paul almost collided.

“Whoa, why are you in such a hurry,” Paul asked.

“Sorry. I need to speak with Maggie,” Aaron answered.

“He’s leaving,” Enid tattled.

Paul blocked Aaron with a quick move. “Where to?”

Aaron huffed a frustrated breath, and rolled his eyes up to meet Paul's. “I’m going to Oceanside.”

“Do you want to get yourself killed? You know they shoot first and ask questions later. They’ll dump your corpse in the ocean,” Paul said to deter him.

“I have to do something. I have to help, and we need the numbers,” Aaron argued.

“Why do you think Rick went to the dump?”

“Jadis and her people aren’t reliable.” Aaron tried to get past Paul, but the man wouldn’t move.

“And you think Oceanside is? Look, we need you here. I need you. Maggie’s not letting the prisoner inside the gates, and I’m having a difficult time finding volunteers to help me watch them.”

Paul's plead was not going to change Aaron’s mind. “I can’t stay here. I need to help. I’ve got experience in dealing with difficult people and dangerous situations. I think I can convince them, but it’s going to take some time.” Aaron stood his ground, facing off with Paul until the man moved out of his way.

“And what am I supposed to tell Daryl if he comes here looking for you?” Paul asked as Aaron squeezed by him.

“He’s not coming, but if he does, tell him I’ve moved on without him.” Aaron said with anger dancing in his eyes. He calmed and went on. “I need a car. I can’t take mine. Caleb … he was … shot through the window and … I need a safe car.”

Paul sighed deep, reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. “It’s around the side of the house. I use it when I go out on runs sometimes.”

Aaron took the key, and started to leave, but Paul grabbed his arm to stop him. “I’ll come with you.”

“You’re needed here. You said so yourself,” Aaron said.

“Then let Enid go. You shouldn’t go alone,” Paul suggested.

Before Aaron could say no, Enid spoke up. “I’ve got two things going for me. I’m young and I’m a girl. They won’t shoot if they see me with you.”

“She’s got a point. They very easily could have killed Tara, but they let her go,” Paul said.

Aaron considered them. They weren’t going to let up. And Enid was right. They might have more sympathy for a girl. Two men would look more like a threat, even two gay men. Besides, Aaron wasn’t going all the way into their territory. He was only going so far as the very edge where they would have to confront him. Finally, Aaron turned to Enid. “Go pack a bag, enough for several days. We might be gone for a while.”

Before he changed his mind, Enid ran off to grab her things. Paul watched Aaron a moment, seeing the fatigue and pain written on his face. “You’re a good man, Aaron. Daryl’s a fool to let you go.”

“Maybe I’m the fool to think he was anything different than who he is right now,” Aaron said somberly. “Doesn’t matter. It’s over. Besides, there’s a war going on here. That’s where all of our minds need to be.”

As they talked, there was a commotion at the gate. Gregory showed up in one of the reinforced cars from Alexandria. Maggie came out of the house and went to the gate to speak with him. She refused to let him in after finding out that he went to Negan and sided with the Saviors. Gregory begged and pleaded, made up some bullshit excuses, but Maggie wouldn’t budge. Eventually she agreed to let the prisoners inside, as she addressed Paul about it. “Put them in the livestock cage, and put guards on patrol around the clock.” Paul nodded and got to work transferring the prisoners. Gregory whined that she would let them in and not him, but then she changed her mind about that too. He was led to the cage with the rest.

While Aaron stood by and watched, Enid came out of the house with her bag. “What’s happening?” she asked.

“Maggie agreed to let the prisoners in,” he said. He watched each and every Savior as they made their way through the yard and into their new cell. He thought that most looked regretful, others, not so much. Aaron watched as one man in particular went out of his way to thank Maggie for letting them inside, even if they had to be locked up. His name was Alden, and he seemed to be taking on a leadership role, although he probably didn’t realize it. It gave Aaron hope that perhaps he, and others that thought like him, might be right about finding a future together with the Saviors. If only Daryl could see things his way too.

He brushed the thought aside and started toward the car. “Let’s get going,” he said to Enid, and they were one their way.

>>------->

“I’m surprised Daryl isn’t in this with you,” Enid said to make conversation.

“Daryl has his own mission to follow,” Aaron answered. “One I don’t agree with,” he said quietly to himself.

“So what does that mean?” Enid asked.

“It means we’ve come all this way and discovered that we’ve grown too far apart. Daryl’s out for revenge. I think that’s all he’s wanted this entire time. He’s not considering the people that got mixed up in this to no fault of their own. Take that guy, Alden, for example. He ended up with the Saviors because he was in trouble and they took him in, gave him work. He thought he was helping to build a new outpost. He didn’t know he was working for a madman.”

“I don’t think they should all die either,” Enid mentioned. “Carl said that when he was there, at the Sanctuary, he saw all kinds of people, not just Negan and his army. There were elderly and families with young children. They were all working, and helping the other people like themselves, caring for those who had trouble caring for themselves. That part was normal. What wasn’t normal was the underlying tension and fear that everyone had, and that’s because of Negan. That’s what is wrong about the Saviors, the way they use fear to keep everyone there, and control their lives.”

“It’s not a very good trade off,” Aaron said. “You see, while Daryl was there, all he saw were the bad parts of it. Because of that, he doesn’t trust any of them. There was a time that when he didn’t trust someone it meant he had to keep a closer eye on them. Now, all he wants to do is eliminate every threat, no matter who gets in the way or who he hurts … including me.”

“I wish it could be different,” Enid said. “And I hope that he will come around once this is over with.”

“I hope so too, but I’m afraid of how this is going to end. Or maybe it already has.” Aaron changed the subject before things got any more depressing than they already were. “So, once we get to Oceanside, we need to convince them to fight for us.”

“That’s not going to be easy, especially after we took all their guns,” Enid pointed out.

“I know, but we need them,” Aaron said. He already had a plan brewing in his mind, and it meant delving back into his NGO negotiating talents in Africa. Some of those people had been much tougher and scarier than the people of Oceanside, but they weren’t a community of scorned women out for blood.

“Do you know how to drive?” Aaron asked Enid.

“Yes,” she said and smiled at a memory. “Better than Carl anyway. Why?”

“We still have quite a way to go, and I’m running on fumes,” Aaron fibbed. Actually, he was fine, but he needed to see how well Enid drove. The plan he was coming up with did not include her, and he needed to send her back to Hilltop to tell them not to come looking for him. Aaron pulled over and they switched seats.

Enid was a very good, cautious driver. He felt better knowing it. He also realized that he might not have been lying about his exhaustion. Aaron found his eyelids getting heavy, and finally fell asleep in the passenger seat.

He wasn’t sure how long he was asleep, but he came to when he felt the car slow down and turn. “What’s going on?” he said groggily.

“I got thinking,” Enid said. “Maybe it might help to bring something to Oceanside that might break the ice.”

They had turned off the highway onto another road, and Aaron saw a billboard for a distillery. He smiled. “Good idea. Better to not show up empty handed.”

The place wasn’t far off the road, and they spotted a box van that belonged to the distillery. Aaron crossed his fingers and opened the back. Much to their surprise, there were still a few cases of whiskey inside, along with some empty and broken bottles.

“This will do,” Aaron smiled.

“Want me to follow in the car?” Enid asked.

“Actually, I want you to go first so I can see you,” he said. Enid agreed and they were on the road once more heading for Oceanside.

Once they got close, Aaron took the lead, since he knew the way there. They slowly traveled down a dirt road, and finally stopped. They exited their vehicles, and looked around cautiously.

“This should be far enough,” Aaron said. “We’re close but not on their territory. Close enough to draw them out. We’ll sleep in the car tonight, and take shifts watching for someone.”

It was sometime late into the night when Aaron heard leaves shuffling. He carefully looked out the car window and glimpsed a woman walking around behind the van. Enid woke up and nudged Aaron’s shoulder. He pointed with his chin, remaining silent. Aaron got out of the car and approached the van. Enid followed. Both of them had their guns raised, ready for whatever might happen. They had no way of knowing how many Oceansiders were out there. Aaron signaled for Enid to stay back while he went around the van. He came upon a woman, Natania, the leader of Oceanside.

“What are you doing here?” she questioned. “I told you no one comes back here or you’ll be killed.”

“Actually, I’m not on your territory. I just want to talk to you about what’s going on out there,” Aaron said, pointing in the direction of the way they came.

“We don’t care what’s happening out there, and it’s going to stay that way.”

Aaron knew he’d get nowhere pointing a gun at her, so he lowered it and slowly placed it on the ground. “I’m not trying to start trouble. I just want to talk.”

Natania had a spear in her hands, aimed at Aaron. When he lowered the gun, she moved in and put the spear against the side of his head. “There’s nothing to talk about. You broke your promise to never come back here. How many others you got with you?”

Aaron knew you never lied to someone you needed to convince to work with you. “Just one, Enid, a girl, my friend. We just want to talk.”

Natalia moved faster than Aaron thought she could, and kicked his feet out from under him. He landed on his back staring up at the armed woman. “Please, Natalia, just hear me out,” Aaron begged.

“The time for words was over when you and your people came in here and took our weapons,” Natalia said as she raised her spear. “Now you die,” she seethed, and she raised the spear even higher, ready to strike Aaron in the heart.

A gun went off. Aaron closed his eyes and waited for the pain or death to set in, but it never did. He opened his eyes and watched Natalia let the spear slip from her hand before she collapsed onto the ground. Aaron turned to see who shot her, and saw Enid, her gun still raised, and a look of shock on her face.

“She gave me no choice,” Enid said. “She was about to kill you.”

“It’s all right,” Aaron said. “I’m not hurt.”

“Not yet,” said a girl from the shadows of the trees. Cyndie and some of the other Oceansiders stepped out and saw Natania on the ground. Cyndie went to her and knelt down. “W-who did this?”

Enid was about to speak but Aaron spoke first. “She was about to kill me.”

“I was just trying to protect my friend,” Enid said, admitting it was her.

“We should just kill them,” said Rachael, a young girl who was too eager to kill. She took a step toward Enid and Aaron. Enid aimed her gun at Rachael, and Cyndie put a hand up to stop the girl.

“Stand down,” Cyndie commanded. She looked at Aaron. “Get up.”

Aaron stood, keeping his hands in the air. “Enid, lower your gun,” he told her.

“If I do that, they might–”

“Lower it,” Aaron demanded, and Enid did as she was told.

Someone attacked Enid with the handle of their spear, knocking the gun from her hand. The sudden movement threw her off guard, and the other Oceansiders swooped in and handcuffed both Enid and Aaron. “Take them back to camp,” Cyndie commanded.

“But I thought we weren’t supposed to let any of them–” Rachael started to protest when Cyndie interrupted.

“Take them back now.”

They made the long trek back to Oceanside, and were thrown into one of the houses. Aaron and Enid were handcuffed to a wall. Aaron looked up at Cyndie, who seemed to be in charge now. She didn’t seem very distraught over the death of Natania, her grandmother. She also seemed to have control of Oceanside already. Aaron suspected something happened since his people were there and took their weapons. The women left the room to discuss the future of Aaron and Enid.

“I don’t think Natania has been leading the community,” Aaron whispered. “I get the feeling Cyndie’s been in charge for a while.”

“You might have a better chance at talking to Cyndie than Natania,” Enid said.

The Oceanside women returned to the room, and Cyndie watched Enid and Aaron a moment before she spoke. “Undo their handcuffs and take them back to the border,” she ordered.

The other women seemed shocked by the order. Rachael seemed to be the most bothered by the decision. “No, Natania wouldn’t have–”

“It’s not Natania’s call to make,” Cyndie reminded them.

Two of the women stepped forward and took the cuffs off of Aaron and Enid. They pulled them up by their arms, roughly, and as a precaution, aimed their spears at them. Aaron saw his opportunity to speak his mind, and hoped he wasn’t making a mistake.

“Please, if you’ll just hear me out,” Aaron begged, but the spears closed in on him and Enid until the points were barely touching their skin. He was more frightened for Enid than himself.

“There’s nothing to discuss. We’ll take you to the border and release you, but if you or any of your people come here again, we will kill you.” Cyndie was definitely in the leadership role.

When they reached the border, Cyndie released Aaron and Enid with threats of death if they didn’t leave. Aaron tried one more time to change their minds about joining the fight. “We need Oceanside. Together we can win this fight. Won’t you please reconsider?” Aaron tried again.

Cyndie actually looked like she was considering it, and then she shook her head. “No,” she said tersely. And that was it. The Oceanside women walked back into the woods and disappeared, but Aaron felt like they weren’t really gone, not all of them.

“You gave it a good try,” Enid said, trying to cheer him up. “Some things just aren’t meant to be.”

“Enid, do you know your way back?” Aaron asked.

“Yeah, why?” Enid shook her head. “I’m not leaving you here. And you heard her. If they catch you on their lands, they’re going to kill you.”

“I have to try,” Aaron said. The words brought up thoughts of Daryl when he first came to Alexandria. Aaron had told him all he could do was try whenever Daryl was having a difficult time adjusting and fitting in. Life seemed so much simpler back then. Deanna and her parties, he thought. They were so blind then, in denial about the world outside the walls. So much had happened since that time, but no matter what, Aaron always tried his best whenever that’s all he could do.

Enid could see she wouldn’t change Aaron’s mind, and she didn’t argue with him anymore. “I can get back,” she said.

“Good. When you get to Hilltop, tell them not to send anyone. And,” he paused. He looked off into the distance before continuing. “If Daryl comes to Hilltop and asks about me, don’t say a word about Oceanside.” He wasn’t sure Daryl would go to Hilltop. He wasn’t sure he would ask about Aaron. They’d left on bad terms. Unofficially, they’d split up. But just in case Daryl asked about him, Aaron didn’t want him coming to Oceanside and screwing up his plans.

Enid grabbed Aaron and hugged him tight. It made him think of Caleb and he felt the tears well in his eyes. “Be careful, Aaron,” she whispered.

“You too,” he said in return.

“Just promise me you’ll come back,” Enid said as she released him.

In this world, a promise was an empty gesture. “You know I can’t–”

“Please?” Enid begged.

It was apparent she needed to hear him say it. Aaron smiled warmly and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ll come home. I promise.”

Enid gave a nod and a smile before she went off to find the car. Aaron watched her until he couldn’t see her anymore.

>>------->

It had been a mistake, Aaron thought to himself, to be here without any supplies. He’d left his jacket and backpack in the car. The Oceanside women took his gun. They took the van too, so he had no shelter. He had no food or water, just the clothes on his back and a small knife in his boot. The weather turned bad a day ago, clouds moving in as a frontal system made its way down the coast. It brought rain and cooler temperatures, which were unbearable at night. He couldn’t make a fire. It would draw unwanted attention from the straggling walkers in the woods. Whenever Aaron thought hypothermia was setting in, a walker would come by, forcing him to get active and kill the thing. It was getting more difficult to fight them off as his energy had depleted a while ago. Aaron was wet, tired, thirsty and hungry. His muscles ached and his head hurt, but he wouldn’t leave. He knew they were watching him. The Oceansiders weren’t too far away. Sometimes he would hear a branch break, and think it was a walker, but nothing came after him. He was sure it was a guard checking to see whether he was still alive or not. Still, he remained alone. No one came to chase him away. No one came to negotiate. No one came to help him in any way, but he would not give up. Aaron would not leave Oceanside without their word that they would join the fight.

On the third day, it stopped raining. Aaron was at his wits’ end. He so desperately wanted to give in. He wanted to take the chance and cross into Oceanside territory, ask for help or be shot. Either would be welcome at this point. But he had made a promise to Enid to come home, and he would do anything to keep that promise.

He had promised to keep Caleb safe, and failed. He would never live it down. He would always regret his decision to let the boy come along to the fight. Now there was Enid. He wouldn’t let another kid down.

Aaron found a tree with just enough of a hole he could wedge his back into it, and support his body so he could try and sleep. He couldn’t really sleep though, not with walkers about.

As the day went on, he realized a mistake he made. While it was raining, he should have made something to catch the rain water, but he wasn’t thinking clearly. Now he was thirsty, lips chapped and mouth dry like the desert. He was so weak. He wasn’t sure how much longer he would last, but it was a matter of convincing Oceanside to fight or die trying.

Aaron went in and out of consciousness from time to time. When he did, he would see Daryl in his dreams. Not the person he was now, but the man he first met. “You’re still in there somewhere,” Aaron whispered. “I know you are. You’re a good man Daryl Dixon. You’re just lost right now. I need you back.”

He heard a noise and looked up.

“Hey,” Daryl said. He was standing there, eyes smiling down at him.

“Daryl?” Aaron said. “No, you can’t be here.”

“But I am,” Daryl said.

“I gave Enid a message. I specifically told her–”

“Come home, Aaron. I need you back. I can’t go on like this,” Daryl pleaded.

“I know,” Aaron said. “I’m sorry I gave you an ultimatum. I don’t want to leave you, but I had to make my point.”

“I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re always right. It’s annoying,” Daryl smirked.

“I can’t leave, not until Oceanside agrees to help us,” Aaron said.

“We don’t need them. We don’t need anyone but ourselves. Come with me now. We’ll go to the cabin until this is all over. I just want you back, Aaron.”

Aaron struggled to stand up. He’d been sitting for too long and his muscles were sore and weak from shivering and lack of water. He had a sudden muscle spasm in his calf and he went down to his knees. “A little help,” he said and Daryl came toward him. Aaron’s vision blurred, and he came to, finding that it wasn’t Daryl standing there, but a walker. He struggled for his knife, and pulled it from his boot just as the walker was about to fall on top of him. Its mouth was dangerously close to his face, but Aaron sunk the blade into its deteriorated skull. This wasn’t it, though. The growls and offensive smell tipped Aaron off. Another walker approached.

Still not quite right in his mind, he called out for Daryl to help him, and realized Daryl had never been there. He was a figment of Aaron’s imagination. The walker was upon him, but Aaron was on his feet now. He lunged at it with every last bit of energy he could muster, stabbed it in the head and pushed it away as he fell to the leaf strewn ground. He laid on his back, out of breath, out of energy, head spinning when he heard voices. Aaron thought he was imagining it, but he recognized the women.

“P-please,” Aaron gasped. They had finally made themselves known to him, and he had no air in his lungs to speak, or to beg them to join the fight.

“He doesn’t look good,” one of the women commented.

“Why is he still here?” said another.

“You’re a very stupid man,” Cyndie said.

“I say we kill him and put him out of his misery,” said Rachael, the youngest.

“Leave him,” Cyndie told the others. “If he wants to die waiting for us to change our minds, then so be it.” Cyndie turned to leave and the others followed her.

Aaron struggled to turn onto his stomach. He clawed at the ground, as though he was going to chase after the women, but he gave up easily, laid his head down, and lost consciousness again.

When he woke up, it was almost dark, and it was raining. He opened his mouth and let the rain fall in. It wouldn’t be enough, he thought. He needed to get up and find a way to trap the rain water. He was beginning to worry how much longer he would be here. He had missed his opportunity to talk Oceanside into joining the fight because he was too weak to speak. He couldn’t let that happen again. Sooner or later, Cyndie and her people would stop checking on him, and he would waste away to the elements. He was already showing signs when he hallucinated about Daryl being there with him.

Aaron struggled to get up. He leaned against a tree to get his bearings, and then he stumbled around looking for something to use to catch rain water. Something white glimmered through the dense trees. He followed it and smiled when he came upon a piece of metal. When he tried to pick it up, Aaron found it partially buried in the mud. He dropped to his knees, and using his hands, dug around the edge of the metal until it came loose. While digging, he disturbed several earth worms. Daryl had told him a story about eating worms. It was right before Aaron and Eric found Rick and his people. They were out in the elements, no food, no water, in a drought. Daryl was desperate for anything that would help him stay alive. Aaron was in the same situation. He hadn’t eaten in a couple days, and he feared that another attack by walkers might be his last unless he regained some of his energy. His fingers grasped one of the wiggling invertebrates, and pulled it from the ground. He held it in his palm, letting the rain wash away as much of the dirt as it could. He pinched his fingers around one end of the worm and watched it wriggle wildly, as he brought it to his lips. This was what it was going to take in order to stay alive, and hopefully convince Oceanside to help. He closed his eyes and dropped the worm into his mouth, immediately swallowing it. Aaron tried not to think about what was happening to the worm or his insides. If he made it out of here alive, he’d have to see the Kingdom’s doctor to make sure he wasn’t infested with anything. Oddly, his stomach reacted by giving him a gurgle and a growl. His body was desperate for anything, even an earthworm. The newly dug mud revealed more worms, and Aaron ate a few more. It was unpleasant and unsatisfying, but he could actually feel himself coming around. It was enough to get him up from the ground to lift the metal piece from the mud. His next goal was to catch rain before it stopped. He wiped away the excess mud, raised it over his head and smiled in victory. It was a small win, and he’d take it.

On the way back to his makeshift camp, Aaron collected a plastic container. He bent the metal sheet in the middle, and anchored it between two close growing trees. The container slid in under the metal, and rain started collecting right away. He didn’t wait long, just until there was enough water for a good swallow. Aaron closed his eyes and relished the feel of the cool water sliding down his throat. It helped easy his stomach, which was starting to complain about his first meal in two days. The worms weren’t sitting well, but he had to keep them down. Even a tiny bit of protein was enough to reboot his system, if only slightly.

The container filled up some more, and Aaron started to take another swallow when he heard a walker very close behind him. He’d been concentrating on himself, and didn’t notice until it was almost too late. It was a stupid mistake.

Aaron dropped the container and pulled his knife from his boot. He charged at the walker, stabbed its head and both fell to the ground. He was still weak, and it had been difficult to wrestle the creature. When he fell, his knife slipped from his hand, disappearing into the thick spread of leaves on the forest floor. Two more walkers approached. Aaron only had a moment to search for his knife, but it was gone. When he stood, he saw a large fat stick. One end had split so that it was somewhat pointy. It would have to do, he thought to himself. He got a bit of momentum and ran at the closest walker, stabbing it in the head, but the stick wouldn’t come out. The second walker was upon him. He used the first one to guard himself against the second, and managed to find the strength to kick it backwards, allowing him a split second to get the stick back. He did, but just in time to take out the second walker. There were no more after that, which was a good thing. Aaron would not have been able to fight off any more walkers at that point. He was completely spent of every ounce of energy. He had reached beyond his limits, and collapsed onto his back in a puddle of mud and leaves. He moaned in pain, every muscle cramping and hurting from the confrontation. Aaron was done, and he would lay there, praying for someone to come along. He didn’t think he’d make it another night, and darkness was closing in.

“Is he dead?” someone said. The voice woke Aaron from a dreamless sleep. He was cold and soaking wet, muddy and exhausted.

He struggled to open his eyes, but when he did, there were Oceanside women surrounding him in a circle. Cyndie was standing before him, casting anger and doubt from her eyes. “You’re going to die, and for what? You should have gone home, back to your people. You’re doing them no good by being here.”

“P-please. Hear me out,” Aaron said from the ground. He could only lift his head, and he spoke not much above a whisper.

“It’s too late for talk. You and the girl come here and kill, and you expect me to listen to anything you have to say?” Cyndie said with ire.

I’m sorry about your grandmother,” Aaron said. This was his last chance. He would die tonight, he was sure of it. This was what he came here for. “Y-you blame Enid for Natania’s death, but it’s really the Saviors who are responsible.” He paused to catch his breath. No one spoke. No one walked away so he continued. “What they did to you, what they turned you into, it’s their fault. I know, because they’ve done the same thing to someone very close to me. You hide. You don’t trust anyone anymore. You don’t live your life the way you want to, the way you should have always lived it because of them. I’ve lost people. We all have. Some I’ll never get back, and some … well, they’re gone in a different sense.” He was rambling as he thought of Daryl, and what they had lost between them. “The point is, they hurt you, and they’re gonna keep on hurting you unless you do one thing. Fight.” With that said, Aaron felt his world spin. His vision darkened and went black. He was no longer cold or hungry. He was nothingness, and he let go.
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Safe Haven in the Chaos