"What brings us to tears, will lead us to grace. Our pain is never wasted." 

- Bob Goff

There was still a question lingering in Aliya's mind. Something she thinks she needs answers now more than ever. And so she tapped Daryl on his shoulder and nodded at Karen's direction, "Just gotta do something real quick." she explained. Daryl looked at her face, observing her reaction before nodding, "I'll be here." he reassured her. Something she badly needs. 

She smiled slightly at Daryl before turning around to jog towards Karen. She was a bit shocked at Aliya's arrival but immediately recovered with a smile, "Hi Aliya!" she greeted with a bit of curiosity. Aliya nodded, "Hey, Karen." she greeted back politely. "I just wanted to ask something really quick." she nodded at the older woman who stared at her with hesitance. 

Karen reassured the woman and called on Tyreese to take her position for a while. Aliya pulled her aside and blew a nervous breath. "Do you know Vincent and Meredith?" she asked, hopeful and naively expectant. Karen's brows furrowed. How does she know them? "H-how do you know them?" she wondered. Aliya frowned at her reaction, "We stayed together for a while, a few months back." she explained. 

She shook her head at Aliya, "That can't be. They were with us since the beginning and they suddenly went missing." 

They were one of the first families in Woodbury. They've been there ever since the dead started walking. It was a huge ordeal when they suddenly stopped showing up in their respective jobs and classes. The same hour everybody noticed they were missing, the governor launched a searching team. They only stopped when Ezekiel came back from his run and talked to the governor. 

"So Ezekiel didn't come back with them?" 

Karen's head throbbed, "Ezekiel found them?" she asked breathlessly. Ezekiel came back from his run and immediately asked the governor to talk. After that talk, all efforts to search for the family was ceased. The governor only gave them a vague answer. 

It was no doubt that Ezekiel did something to the family along the way. It might even be that the governor ordered for their deaths and not a rescue at all. They both separated with heavy hearts. 

Aliya walked towards Daryl and sighed as she climbed on his bike. Daryl was watching her and reached out his hand to assist her on. She squeezed his hand firmly before wrapping her arms around his torso. Daryl's rough hand pulled on hers, "You're hurtin' me." he gruffly complained, making her immediately let go. 

Daryl immediately reacted, looking back at her and her arms expectedly. He only meant for her to loosen her hold on him and not let go entirely. With a frown, he pulled on her arm and gently coiled it around his torso. 

"I'm sorry." she muttered as she gently embraced him. He could feel her erratic heart, making him chuckle lowly. "Relax." he coaxed, tapping her hands a bit. It was amusing how much he could affect her. Even more amusing how she doesn't realise how much she affects him too. 

She closed her eyes and buried her face in the crook of his neck, making his hold on his bike's throttle to tighten, making him speed up. He cleared his throat as he felt her gentle breathing on his neck, giving him goosebumps. 

==+==

Aliya sat on the bench alone, eating the food Carol has served everybody, in silence. She looked around the people they have rescued and took notice of how much they tried to catch her stare just to smile at her. Her heart ached as she thought back at Camellia. 

"Miss Aliya!" a young boy greeted her enthusiastically. She blinked rapidly as she looked around for something she could use as an excuse to leave. The boy moved so he could be in front of her, the sole focus of her attention. With no choice left, she looked up at him and nodded, "What's up?" she squinted as the sun glared down on her eyes. 

He side stepped a bit, getting fidgety under her stare. "Umm..." he trailed off. "I-I just wanted to say thank you." he smiled awkwardly. What was he thankful for? Aliya's brow lifted in amusement, "What for?" she asked as she took a spoonful of food. 

"For allowing us into your home-saving us." 

Her heart warmed at that, making her smile warmly. She nodded, "We're glad to have you guys here." she stood up and side-hugged him, tapping him on his shoulder. It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing that she was in this position before but it all washed away in a second. She blinked the thoughts away and a mischievous smile made its way onto her lips as she caught sight of Daryl. 

"You should thank Daryl, he's why we're eating right now." 

She winked at him teasingly before sitting back down in her seat, watching Daryl excitingly. They haven't interacted at all since the morning since they were both too busy in their own businesses. She watched everyone watch him with admiration and respect. 

He was in a pleasant conversation with Carol when Patrick spoke up and expressed his admiration and appreciation towards him. Patrick's voice was a little shaky as he looked Daryl in his eyes, "I'd be honoured to shake your hand." he jutted his shaking hand out as Daryl looked at it in confusion. Aliya's lips protruded into a pout as she tried to stifle her amused laugh when Daryl so elegantly licked his messy fingers and shook Patrick's hand. 

Daryl's eyes landed on her as her chuckle rang out unexpectedly. Aliya's eyes widened as she slapped her hand on her mouth in shock. She wasn't expecting to break out in a loud laugh at all. Daryl's lips curled into an amused smile as Aliya turned red in embarrassment. He shook his head before following Carol to the side to continue their conversation. 

Aliya, on the other hand, cleared her throat and continued eating. This time, she was rushing. 

----

"Where were you this morning?" 

Aliya whipped her head up from loading up the trunk, to face Daryl. "Huh?" she asked absentmindedly, her hands busy organising their supplies. "Where were you?" he repeated, a box heavy in his hand. Aliya blew a breath as she pulled a heavy container, "Was just helping out with the fence." she coughed slightly. 

She smiled as she looked back at Karen and Tyreese's moment earlier. How red and smiley he became once Karen's lips touched his. "How 'bout you?" she asked back, her hand on her waist. Daryl's brow lifted up, "With Carol." he explained, subtly watching her expression. She only nodded slightly before their attentions were pulled by Beth's arrival. 

Aliya's head slightly whipped to the side as Beth and Zach embraced each other and kissed. When Aliya looked up, her eyes caught Daryl's who was watching her awkwardly look at the ground. He scoffed, "You've never seen people kiss before?" he asked her quizzically. She rolled her eyes and stood up straight, "Why'd you ask me that while staring at my lips?" she challenged, squinting her eyes at him. 

He let out a chuckle before shaking his head and lifting the box in his hand. He had no comeback to that. As he passed by the couple, he looked at them, "Like a damn romance novel." he grumbled disapprovingly. Aliya laughed quietly before opening her arms for Beth, "See you later, pretty lady." she whispered in Beth's ear. Beth smiled and tapped her back gently. 

Aliya rode with Zach while Daryl lead the run on his beloved bike. They came to a halt when they caught sight of Michonne. She put the car in park, "Just a minute." she called out to Zach as she climbed out of the car. She jogged towards Michonne, "Did you find him?"  was the first thing out of her mouth. Michonne looked at her and shook her head, "No. Didn't find him." she answered regretfully. 

A sigh resigned from Aliya's lips. That fucker really was a cockroach. Hard to catch and hard to kill. She shook her head before going over to Michonne to hug her quickly. "Glad you're okay." she smiled at her before making her way back to the car. Her and Michonne weren't that close but they still bond over being the outsiders before. She wanted to search for the governor with her but she protested, saying that she was needed here in the prison. 

Zach was annoyingly tapping the headboard with a rhythm that nobody could understand. Her jaw ticked but she remained silent, not wanting to be rude and argue. She could feel his stare every now and then, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't really find the timing or courage to do so. It was making her self-conscious but he wasn't harming her in any way so she just let him be. 

"Umm..." he trailed off, his hand shooting towards his nape. He was extremely intimidated by Aliya. She was the female version of Sir Daryl and it was absolutely making him nervous to be in the same car as her. She sighed, "Yes, Zach?" she peeked at him quickly, "You have something to say?" she grumbled out impatiently. Zach grimaced, "How long have you known Sir Daryl?" 

She shrugged, "Not that long, why?" Zach's brows shot up in surprise. He would've asked that they have known each other their whole lives with the way they always were leaning towards each other. "I've been trying to guess what he did before all of this." he confessed sheepishly. He's been at it for some weeks now and he hoped that earning intel from his closest friend would be helpful but turns out, she's clueless too. 

Aliya blinked rapidly as she too, tried to imagine what he did before all of this. She chuckled and shook her head, "Come to me once you figure it out." Zach's lips slowly morphed into a smile. Aliya smiled back at him before halting the car. Seeing her smile like that made him comfortable, as if he was now in her good graces. They both climbed out of the car and joined the others towards the fences. 

The scene that greeted them was enough to give them the chills. Aliya's breathing became laboured as images of Camellia flashed in her mind with every step she took. She shook her head quickly, shaking it off. While looking around, Daryl noticed her hanging around the back with a grimace in her face. 

Daryl's face morphed into a worried frown, "Hey!" he called out to her softly. She looked at him with clouded eyes, "Huh?" He nodded at her, "You good?" he asked softly, watching her face slowly get back its colours. She blinked rapidly before nodding, feeling ashamed of how she was acting. "Yeah, I'm good." she responded quietly. 

Not noticing the air around him, Zach chuckled to himself, "I think I got it!" he nodded at Daryl. He slowly looked at Zach incredulously. Does he really not know how to read the room? However, as Aliya's lips turned to an amused smile, Daryl's lips curled too. He nodded at Zach to continue his antics. 

Aliya nodded at Zach as she walked towards Daryl's side, "Give it to us!" she encouraged him as she winked at Michonne who grinned at her. Zach started listing his reasonings behind his guess which made lots of sense. With every reason, Aliya snickered as she bumped her shoulder against Daryl, teasing him. "He got you right on the nail." 

Daryl chuckled at how hyper she was being. Zach pointed at Daryl, "Homicide cop!" he confidently announced. Aliya looked at Daryl in mocking horror before bursting out laughing. When she noticed Daryl's glare, she pouted her lips to stop laughing. Then Daryl started pulling Zach's leg too. 

Michonne chuckled at the idea of Daryl being a cop. Aliya could totally see him as a sheriff of a small town though. He had this kind of tough-love thing with him. The kind of cop who would redeem himself in the end in those crime movies. Zach frowned as he realised that he was just being clowned, "I'll keep guessing then." he grumbled, sulking. 

Aliya snorted when Michonne called Daryl 'detective'. 

They were all busy looking through the store when a crash erupted in the middle booth. All of them came running towards the noise and found Bob underneath the wine shelves. Stuck. Daryl and Zach grunted as they lifted the heavy shelf off of Bob's body. Aliya looked around with her gun drawn and stopped when a walker came dangling from the ceiling. She stepped back when only by one, walkers rained down. 

Her back hit the shelf as she backed up. In the midst of chaos, they all separated ways. Aliya continued backing up as 4 walkers marched towards her like predators hunting its prey. She lifted her arm and shot them down one by one. Her heart pulsated painfully against her ribs as walkers started piling from all around her. 

"Fuck!" she groaned as a walker threw itself at her, pushing her to the ground. The concrete kissed the back of her head painfully. She gritted her teeth as she pushed the walker's face away from hers. With no more choice, she shot the walker in close range, her ears tingling sharply. Aliya pushed herself up from the floor and kicked the other walker in its abdomen, pushing it to the ground. 

When she was in the clear, she ran towards the others and helped them with the pesky walkers. Her eyes widened when she saw Daryl surrounded. On top of him was the helicopter threatening to drop. She loaded her gun and fired, successfully shooting down most of those surrounding him. "Come on!" she called out to him as Glenn helped as well. 

She grabbed his bicep and dragged him with her, eyes frantically looking for a way out. They met with Zach in the alcohol shelves, where Bob was still stuck. Aliya covered for them while they try to get Bob out for the second time. Their adrenaline must be sky high as they were able to pull him out quickly this time. She pulled Bob and pushed him towards the others when Zach started screaming. 

Her eyes widened, "Zach!" she screeched as she tried to pull him out of the walker's reach. She grunted as she struggled to pull the walker off of Zach as it bit down on his neck. A hand grabbed her arm, "Aliya! We got to go!" Daryl begged her as he roughly pulled her out of the way. Not even a second later, the ceiling caved and the helicopter came crashing down. 

She was still breathing raggedly when they came out of the store. 

----

It has been a while since they have arrived from their run. Aliya and Daryl sat in front of each other in silence, still processing what had just transpired. The ride back felt empty and silent for Aliya, no Zach to make her feel self-conscious. When Daryl made a move to walk, she immediately stood up. 

"Where are you going?" 

He looked at her, "Gonna tell Beth." he pointed at the direction of Beth's cell. Aliya's brows creased, "Why do you always have to do the hard stuff?" she asked casually. Daryl only looked at her, not having any idea how to answer her question. She scoffed, "Let me talk to her." she offered, walking away before he could react or respond. 

She knocked gently at the steel railings, "Hey." she smiled at Beth who looked up from her book. Aliya jumped a bit when she felt Daryl stand beside her. Beth looked at both of them and understood. "Is it Zach?" 

Daryl sighed as he looked at the ground while Aliya gently nodded her head. Beth blew a breath before nodding, "He dead?" she asked emotionlessly. Aliya couldn't understand how casual she was being but nonetheless, she nodded again. Beth shrugged, "Okay." 

Aliya's brow lifted up as she exchanged glances with Daryl. Her head tilted to the side as she watched Beth who scoffed under Daryl's gaze. "I don't cry anymore." she shook her head at him, gripping the number 3 sign in her palm. Beth then turned to them both, "I'm just glad to have known him." she offered, comforting herself. Aliya took a step back, noticing how blue Daryl seemed. 

Zach's death left a great dent on Daryl's heart. The kid was slowly growing on him, he felt like a little brother. But just like that, he became an only child again. Aliya looked away as Beth and Daryl talked, not understanding the mixed feelings she was having. Beth backed away from Daryl and retreated deeper into the cell. 

Daryl looked expectedly at Aliya who didn't follow him. She offered him a small smile, "Go ahead. I'll just talk to her." She called Beth's name and asked for permission to sit on the chair next to her bed. "Wanna talk about it?" she offered as she helped Beth organise her stuff. Beth shook her head as her lips turned to a thin line. 

"It happens." 

Aliya licked her lips as she nodded. Beth just wanted to be alone right now which Aliya understands. She stood up slowly, tapping Beth's bed, "Just find me when you want to talk." she smiled down at Beth before turning away. 

Beth sat up, "It seems to work for you, you know." she called out. Aliya turned around slowly, "What?" she asked softly. Beth looked up at her, "Being numb." she blinked at her slowly. Beth was always impressed by how Aliya never allows herself to feel. But what Beth doesn't know is that Aliya just drowns in all of her feelings and she still hasn't risen up to the surface. 

Aliya gulped, "I-I don't-" she stammered, struggling for the right words to say. Beth smiled at her tightly, "It's okay, Aliya. You're allowed to give up."