Daryl's POV

This was a bad idea. I don't want to be out here today, surrounding by growling walkers and moving at painfully slow speeds. I want to be back at home with Hope...with our baby.

My chest constricts, my thoughts travelling to home again. What if she's had the baby by the time we get back? I know she won't be alone; she'll have Elliot, Carol, Carl. Still, I desperately hope that she can...I don't know, hold it in or something until I get there.

Who am I kidding? Women can't hold in birth, at least I don't think they can.

There's a commotion nearby, I don't know what it is. I tense a little, clicking the radio on my shoulder on.

"Rick!" I call.

There's a bit of static before he responds. "I'm here."

"What's goin' on back there?" I ask, hoping that it isn't too bad.

"Half of them broke off," he says. I relax only a little, but then his next sentence makes my blood run cold. "They're going toward Alexandria."

I hold back the tremble in my voice. "Towards you?"

"We ran ahead. There's a horn or something," he continues. His breaths are quick and his words are shaky, like he's running. "Loud, coming from the east. It's not stopping."

I don't respond for a moment, my entire body alert and on edge. If there's something drawing those walkers back to Alexandria, back to my family, I can't just sit here and do nothing. I have to get back to them, get back to Hope and my baby.

"I'm gonna gas it up, turn back," I decide.

"We have it. You keep going."

I narrow my eyes. "They're gonna need our help."

"Gotta keep the herd moving," he pants, still running.

"Not if it's goin' down, we don't," I retort.

"The rest of that herd turns around, the bad back there gets worse," Rick says, his tone stern. I don't respond, more than a little bit pissed. "Daryl?"

"Yeah, I heard you," I say, my tone strained.

We keep driving, but I'm all too focused on someplace else. At this point, I don't care if Hope does have the baby without me. My only object is that I need to get home and be there for her, be there for my child. Furthermore, I need to stop whatever pending attack that airhorn may bring on. There's so much that I have to do that doesn't involve these damn walkers.

I swerve the motorcycle as I pull up to the car that Abraham and Sasha are currently in. I get their attention, Abraham looking my way.

"Hey, we gone five miles out yet?" I shout.

"Give or take some yardage. You got a reason for asking?" Abraham wonders.

"Next intersection we're gonna spin around and go back," I order.

"The plan is to go fifteen more," Sasha insists.

"Yeah, I'm gonna change that," I respond stubbornly. "Five's gonna have to work."

"The magic number's twenty," Abraham points out. "That's the mission. That's making sure they're off munching on infirm raccoons the rest of their undead lives instead of any of us."

"I've gotta wife who's havin' a baby back home," I bring up, my voice becoming more angry than concerned. "They're gettin' attacked by somethin', and they need help."

"You want to go, we can't stop you," Sasha says. "But without you, they could stop us."

I fall silent, the wind blowing my hair back as my eyes flicker to a billboard on the side of the road. Alexandria is displayed on the fading letters and pictures, and my decision is made in an instant.

"Nah, I got faith in you," I call, speeding the bike up and zooming ahead.

"Daryl!" Sasha exclaims.

"Don't do it, man!" Abraham seconds.

Their words don't sway me. I'm already gone.

----------

"Daryl?"

I look to my radio, pulling it to my mouth as my bike roars down the road.

"I'm here," I say.

"Won't be long now," Rick's voice crackles through the static. "They're almost here. I'll get them going your way again."

"How 'bout that, Daryl?" Sasha's voice comes through, obviously smug. "He's gonna be coming our way."

I don't respond, my knuckles turning white as I grip the handles.

"There's gunfire coming from back home," Rick mentions. "We gotta sit with it and hope they can handle it."

"Rick..." I say. "Hope...she's back there...she's havin' my baby..."

"They can handle it," he insists. "They have to. We keep going forward for them. Can't turn back 'cause we're afraid."

"We ain't afraid," Abraham adds.

"This is for them," Rick repeats, his voice shaking a little. "Going back now before it's done, that'd be for us. The herd has to be almost here."

I don't say a word. Every fibre of my being is tugging me back towards home, back to my wife. I promised to protect her, even before I knew just how in love with her I was. It's my duty to be there for her.

But I made a promise to Rick. I'm his right hand man, his second in command, and he needs this herd brought away from home. It won't do any good for me to get home just for a ton of walkers to end up invading anyways.

I pull the bike to a stop, my lips pursed and my radio sagging a little on its strap. I grab the device and click the button.

"Rick?"

I release the button. Static greets my ears, buzzing incessantly. Panic fills me and I try again.

"Rick! Rick!"

Still nothing.

I cuss and punch the handle of my bike, looking down the road towards home. I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath. It's time to make another decision.