DON'T LET GO

                                    

                                          
A BLINDING PAIN sent a ringing through his ears as a fist slammed into his temple, sending his head smashing against the stone wall to his left. His eyes blinked furiously as he tried to regain his vision and even though it remained blurred he saw the next blow coming. His head collided with the wall once more before his attacker spoke.

                          
	"You led a spy into our home. Put us all in danger."
                          
	"No," he rasped in protest before being struck yet again. 
                          
	"I'll give you this – I never would've guessed it." 
                          
	His attacker grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him forward until the bindings that held his wrists to the pipe behind him dug into his skin, preventing him from going any further. "You brought her here. You showed her around. Hell... you even convinced me to give her a weapon."
                          
	"She wasn't a spy. She wasn't-" he sputtered, breathing heavy and staring back into the Governor's only good eye. 
                          
	"Now is not the time for lies, Brady. It's a time for redemption." Brady saw the Governor's fist flying at his face once more before everything went black.
                          
No words could do justice for how Skye felt in this moment. As she laid there in Daryl's arms in the watch tower, she stared up at the Heavens and began to count the stars, naming one for each fallen member of their group. Her fingers stroked across his chest as his tangled themselves in her hair.
                          
	"Daryl?"
                          
	"Hmm?"
                          
	"Do you remember that night on top of the RV?"
                          
	Daryl thought back to the moment she was referring to. He had tried to teach her the constellations and she had told him about her sister, Riley. "Yeah."
                          
	Skye smiled to herself at his response, but her smile soon fell. "What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?"
                          
	Daryl didn't know what to say. What he did know was that there was a feeling in his gut that had him anxious. Of course, there was the threat of the Governor, but it was something different. Something he couldn't quite figure out.
                          
	"I don't know, but I can tell you this..." Their eyes met and he gave her a reassuring look, hiding away all his worries. "I will never let anything happen to you."
                          
	Skye knew this was true, but it wasn't her that she was worried about. Deep down she knew it was highly unlikely that they would all make it out of this alive. Something bad was going to happen and what she hated most of all was that she may not be able to keep it from happening.
                          
	"Nevertheless, we need to rest."
                          
	"Daryl, I can't sleep now. I-"
                          
	"Sleep," he said, holding her close. "I'll watch over you." As she started to let herself drift off, she heard him whisper, "I'll always watch over you."
                          
Skye sat up what seemed like just a couple hours later with Daryl sleeping soundly at her side. Not wanting to wake him, she very gently got up to get dressed. Just as she was about to pull her shirt on she turned to find Daryl sitting up on his elbows, watching her through squinted eyes. Blushing, she said, "I tried not to wake you."
                          
	"Worth it," he cocked a smile, making her blush even more as she pulled her shirt over her head. "We should probably be up anyway. We need to help the others get everything in place."
                          
	Her boots sat idly behind her. After pulling them on she turned only to find Daryl standing right in front of her, his face inches from hers. She froze in place. 
                          
	"I meant what I said."
                          
	Skye stood there unsure of what he was talking about, but after looking deep into his eyes she knew exactly what he was referring to. Her mouth curled up into a slight smile as she replied, "Me, too."