Clover (Daryl Dixon X Male Character)

Grief, Forgiveness, And An Odd Occurrence

A/N: I noticed in between Dales death and the day Shane goes fully nuts there's like a unspoken amount of time where the group mourned for Dale, so this chapter is gonna be that time because our boys need to heal damn it, let's say that time was like.. Four days. Chapter song is a Nightingale sang on Berkley square sung by Nat King Cole, and yes it was in the playlist before good omens even claimed it.

Monday, the morning after Dales death

Jaxx couldn't bear to leave the tent he had put up for himself, he couldn't bear to face the day after last night. The nightmares still fresh in his mind, he couldn't even sleep. Daryl tried to coax him out, but even he couldn't convince Jaxx.

Jaxx just couldn't get up.

Later in the day, as the group buried Dale, Jaxx dragged himself out of his tent to join in on the service. He said nothing. He stood away from the others, leaning against a tree. It was almost as if he and Daryl had switched personalities.

Once everyone had disbanded, Jaxx watched as T-Dog began to fill in the grave. He grabbed the handle of the shovel, stopping his friend. "I'll do it.." He said softly, his voice hoarse from sobbing. T-Dog only nodded and handed Jaxx the shovel. Once T-Dog had left, Jaxx sat in front of the grave with the shovel in his lap. Dales body was wrapped in a tarp, it smelled horrible. But Jaxx just didn't care. "I'm so sorry.." Jaxx choked out. "I-I don't know why I didn't... Why I was too afraid to get it off you like Daryl did. If... If I hadn't bitched out you would still be here."

As Jaxx spoke, he took the registered nurse pin off of his jacket. "Please don't forgive me Dale.. I don't deserve it." As he ended his own speech, he tossed the pin in Dales grave. Standing up, he began filling in the hole. Once he was done, he looked at the hole the pin left on his jacket. It felt as if a piece of him died with Dale that night, and that piece was now with him.

That night, Jaxx layed awake in his sleeping bag. The sounds of tearing flesh. Dales screams. It all haunted him. Once again, Jaxx had lost a loved one. And it was his fault.

Tuesday

The next morning, Jaxx watched his husband go into the woods by himself, probably to hunt. He didn't invite Jaxx along. By now Jaxx felt awful for how he spoke to Daryl before Dales death... He made Daryl go recluse over his own moral battle.

Rising from the chair he sat in, Jaxx entered the tent he and Daryl usually share. Seeing the state of the tent, Jaxx knew Daryl was still upset. Picking up all the dirty laundry, Jaxx, went to work. Throughout the day he cleaned, sharpened Daryl's knives, cleaned his guns, finally got the SS scratched off of the chopper.. By the time he ran out of things to do, it was mid day. And Daryl still hadn't come back.

That night, Jaxx made Daryl's favorite beef stew. Finally, just as he finished cooking, Daryl emerged from the forest line. Approaching the camp with his game, Daryl hung up the strung rabbits he caught before setting down his crossbow. "You got some nerve not sayin' a damn thing ta me for days-" Daryl's rant was cut short by Jaxx grabbing Daryl by the waist and pulling him into a hug.

He held on like a bear, and he buried his face in Daryl's neck. "I know.. You don't have to forgive me, but... Please tell me you still love me." Jaxx said, his voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry my love.."

Daryl stood perfectly still for a moment, with his husband wrapped around him like a security blanket how could he not forgive him? "y'know, I still hear those Nightingales..." Daryl muttered, finally hugging Jaxx back with the same amount of needy grip Jaxx had on him. Jaxx smiled with tears in his eyes. "Oh wonderboy, I love you so much.."

Wednesday

When Jaxx awoke that morning, he had almost forgotten that he made up with Daryl until he realized that he was butt naked with Daryl wrapped around him like a security blanket. Jaxx chuckled and held his husband close, with the nights getting colder they really should have put clothes back in but they didn't care.

"Daryl... Wake up, my love." Jaxx said softly, waking Daryl. Daryl grumbled and bit Jaxx's shoulder in protest. "Nice try, mister. Now let's get moving." Jaxx replied, shifting out from under Daryl to get up and get dressed. Once he had Daryl up and dressed, they finally rejoined the others. "Good morning my friends, and Shane." Jaxx greeted, instinctively he looked up at the RV expecting to see Dale, but instead it was Glenn.

Jaxx's heart sunk for a moment, but it passed as Daryl held his hand. "You guys aren't fighting anymore?" Carl asked, Jaxx shook his head. "No, not anymore.. Never could stay mad at each other." Jaxx replied, Daryl didn't say a word as usual.

As the day went on, the group never saw Jaxx without Daryl, or Daryl without Jaxx. They starved themselves of each other for two days, now they made the most of their time together. Even from the RV Glenn caught a glance of Daryl giving Jaxx a kiss. He smiled, the heart of the group was finally begining to heal.

Thursday

Thursday was... A strange day. It started out normal, Jaxx and Daryl had moved their camp closer to the others as the nights and days got colder. The strangeness started when, as Jaxx Loaded their equipment into Daryl's truck, Shane... Helped him. Shane walked all the way out to their camp, and began lifting things onto the truck bed. It confused the hell out of Jaxx.

"Uh.. What're you doing, gigantor?" Jaxx asked, Shane closed the truck door. "Helping. You're wasting daylight being that slow." Shane answered, Jaxx cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. "Thanks.. I guess." Jaxx responded.

And then, in the afternoon, it happened again. "Jaxx, I'm checkin' all the fences you're comin' with me." Shane called out, tossing Jaxx his gun. Jaxx was once again absolutely befuddled. "Okay?" He said, confused. T-Dog, who had overheard the exchange, looked at Jaxx with an equally confused look.

While out with Shane, Jaxx kept his guard up. "Why're you being so pleasant." Jaxx said outright as Shane reinforced the broken fence caused by that walker. Shane paused his action to glance back at Jaxx before continuing his work. "Cause I'm tired.. Picking fights. Bein' hostile... It ended up killin' Dale. Might as well stop while I'm ahead." Shane answered, Jaxx nodded.

"So you wanna bury the hatchet while I'm still alive is what you're sayin'" Jaxx still didn't trust the man within' an inch of his life, but he appreciated the neutral ground they now stood on. "What does Nightingales mean? I heard Daryl say it earlier" Shane asked out of the blue, Jaxx holstered his gun and crossed his arms.

"It's.. Daryl's way of saying he loves me when he's too shy to say it around others. Before his father went to prison and his mother began neglecting her boys, her favorite song was a nightingale sang on Berkley square.. She used to tell Daryl it reminded her of how much she loved his father... She said when he found the one he'd have that song stuck in his head until he fell out of love. And the morning after our third date, I heard him humming it as he drove me home..." As Jaxx told his story, Shane finished up the fence post and accidentally cut his hand on the barbed wire.

Jaxx fished a first aid kit out of his bag and tossed it to Shane. "Thanks.." He mumbled as he wrapped his hand in gauze and bandage tape found in the kit. "Y'all are lucky to be so close.." He added, Jaxx nodded.

"We are.. I don't know what I'd do without him." He replied, getting in the car once Shane had himself all bandaged up. Shane climbed into the driver seat and tossed his tools in the back.

"So what you're saying is," Shane began, turning the car on and pulling away from the fences.

"you'd do anything to keep him safe."

A/N: I wonder why Shane is being so friendly 🤔