my angel ➶ ➶ daryl dixon

f i f t y t w o

We had been following the train tracks for a couple days now, and I was getting really tired of walking. I was pretty athletic before the apocalypse, but my muscles had long since faded. Eating only a few crackers and peanut butter here and there really sped up their atrophying. My legs were beyond sore, and the little cushion I had left in my shoe's souls was long gone.

"Can we take a break Rick?" I asked him, the sun beating down on my shoulders. "I have to pee."

"Be fast. We're getting really close." Rick responded as they all took a seat on the ground.

I made my way into the woods; deep enough so I couldn't see the group, but close enough that I was still within shouting distance. I pulled down my pants and squatted. "Men have it so easy." I grumbled.

I finished up, and was getting ready to head back to the group when something in the corner of my eye glistened in the sunlight. I made my way over to it, when I saw that it was a pile of cans. This was obviously someone's stuff, which meant they were somewhere near by. I turned to run back to Rick and them when I came face to face with an older man with longer grey hair.

A younger man stepped up beside him, and smiled wickedly at me. "Claimed." I had no chance to respond before I felt a sharp pain on my head, and everything dissolved into black.

—————

I woke up to yet another pounding headache in the back of a non moving car. I slowly sat up, feeling a large bump on the back of my head. I looked out of one of the windows; appearing to be in a large garage with rows of cars and shelves. I didn't see anyone, so I opened the door and got out as quietly as I could.

"Aspen." A surprisingly familiar voice startled me, and I turned around.

"Daryl?" My heart leaped into my throat as I ran to the man. I jumped into his arms, and wrapped my legs around his large torso. He held me tight against his chest, and I could hear his heart beating loudly. "I thought you were dead." I whispered, looking into his eyes. Before he could respond, a man spoke up from behind us.

"I claimed her. She's mine." The man from earlier drawled.

"Nah she ain't." Daryl responded, setting me on the ground, but keeping me close to him. His eyes narrowed as the other man began to walk towards us.

"That's not how it works Daryl." I backed up behind Daryl as the man reached for me.

"She's. Mine." Daryl growled, and in the next second he was on the man. Daryl's fists pounded into the man's face, and with each blow, blood squirted onto the floor around them. Finally, Daryl stopped, satisfied now that the man was reduced to a pulp. He wouldn't be getting up soon, if ever.

"Come here." Daryl dragged me back to the car that I had been in, and we got in the back seat. It was a fairly big car, but it was still a tight fit. We sat in silence for a few moments until I broke it.

"What does claimed mean?"

"It means that things yurs. That asshole tried to take ya." Daryl grumbled.

"And you killed him just because he 'claimed' me?"

"Well I certainly ain't lettin him take ya."

I pulled myself into Daryl's lap, and wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you. I'm glad you're alive." He automatically softened under my touch, and buried his head in my shoulder.

"Me too." He whispered.

"What happened to you after the prison?" I asked, finally pulling away from him, but not moving off his lap.