Daughter of a Dixon ✔️

82: A Million Minutes

Third Person POV.

The door to Rick's room was gently pushed open, yet he didn't move a muscle.

"They're here, Rick," came a voice, and he recognized it immediately as Tobin's. He sounded fearful, and Rick couldn't blame him; he himself was terrified.

Rick didn't turn around as he gave a firm nod, and shot up from his chair. "I'll be out in a minute," he muttered, and paced off towards the bathroom. He began to hear Tobin call after him, obviously concerned, but before he could finish, Rick entered the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

He pressed his palms against the granite counter, and gazed at himself in the mirror. He frowned at the reflection that glared back at him, the one that showed his exhausted, bloodshot eyes, his tear-stained face.

He had just lost another member of his group, one that had been with him since the beginning of it all. She was his brother's daughter, and he had grown to care for her as if she was his own. It felt like he had just lost a piece of him, and he couldn't imagine how Daryl was going to feel.

And he had to be the one to tell him.

After a minute, Rick had collected himself, and strode out into the streets of Alexandria. He held his head high, or at least attempted to, as he walked up to the invading Saviors, who had already made themselves at home inside the gates of his community.

Negan saw the man approaching, and a wide grin spread across the dictator's face. "Well, good morning, Rick," he said, his voice filled with fake enthusiasm. "This is a mighty fine place you have; it's just beautiful."

Rick said nothing in reply; he gave the man a nod, his eyes trained on the asphalt, before he forced himself to look up. When he did, he saw Negan was no longer smiling; he knew what was about to happen, and began to brace himself.

"So, the news of the hour is, it appears we've had a bit of a security breach," Negan informed, taking a large step closer to Rick. "Seems as though little Dixon escaped her cell, ran off into the woods. She got away, Rick, and that shit is not cool."

From behind Negan, Daryl became alert, raising his head and his eyes filling with concern. It was obviously the first he'd heard of the situation, and that just made it all more worse. Daryl looked awful already; he was beaten, bruised, and looked on the verge of tears.

"Now, my question to you is, Rick," Negan continued. "Have you seen her? And if so, if you know where she is, you sure as Hell better turn her over to me, because if we find her first, I will-..."

"She didn't make it here," Rick blurted, the words coming out rushed.

Negan cocked an eyebrow, and from behind him, Daryl's face fell in fear. "Oh, is that so?" Negan questioned.

Rick's breathing hitched as he gave a curt nod. His head drifted down against his will; he couldn't bear to see his brother's face. "... She made it about seventy feet from the gate."

He hoped he didn't have to explain further; he sure as Hell didn't want to, not without being able to explain to Daryl in private what happened. That wasn't the way to tell him that Sidney, his Sidney, was gone, never to return.