Her Hunter, His Solider-Daryl Dixon X Reader

Chapter 7: Better Angels

Authors note: Warning mention of rape.

Rick's POV

Everyone was standing around Dale's grave, everyone except Y/N, she hadn't left her bed all night, Daryl mentioned that she still hadn't stopped crying when he left her in the care of Carol and Maggie. I had figured out a few things about her, when something bad happens to her she takes it with a 'Shit happens' kind of attitude, but if something bad happens to someone she cares about she couldn't take it. Another thing is she cares very deeply for people and connects with certain people fast and forms a deep attachment to them, she's only been here a week and has already cemented her place in our group, I just hope that Dale's death doesn't cause her to leave us, we can't take another loss, especially one with military experience.

"Dale could get under your skin, he sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I made a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it at one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us... the truth, who we really are. In the end, he and Y/n were talking about losing our humility, saying that it's not worth giving up. He said this group was broken. The best way to honour him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety... our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honour Dale." as I finished Dale's eulogy I looked around at my people, Dale's death hit the group hard, anyone of our deaths would.

We were standing next to Daryl's blue truck making preparations for moving into the house, after what happened to Dale, Hershel offered for all of us to move in.

"It's gonna be tight 16 people in one house" I stated. I saw in the corner of my eye Y/N coming towards us.

"Don't worry about that, with the swamp hardening, the creek drying up..." Hershel stated as he beckoned Y/N over to him, she smile a little, I hope that was a good sign that she was going to be Ok.

"With 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing the damn dinner bell." Maggie continued.

"She right. We should have moved you in a while ago" Hershel finished. As he put his arm around Y/N shoulders.

"Alright, let's move these vehicles near each of the doors facing out towards the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill, and another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines. On both sides of the property, T-Dog you that the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming or going." I instructed, I just hope it's enough to keep everyone safe.

"What about standing guards?" T-Dog asked.

"I'm gonna need you and Daryl on double duty," I answered.

"Gotcha," T-Dog said.

"I'll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we all survive there a few days if we need be," Hershel suggested as he walked past carrying things.

"What about patrols?" Andrea asked.

"Let's just get this area locked down first" I answered. "After that Shane'll assign shifts, While me and Daryl take Randall offsite and cut him loose" I continued.

"You know Dale's death and the prisoner that's two separate things, right?" Shane questioned, "You take Daryl as your wingman, be my guest," Shane said as he walked away, "But take the Y/N bitch with you, I ain't gonna babysit her with her damn wailing" Shane had more to say, but the next thing I know Shanes on the ground, what happened was so quick I'm not even sure I'd seen it right, Y/N had grabbed a lid of a crate and frisbeed it right where Shane was about to step causing him the slip and fall to the ground. He got straight back up and went after Y/N, but what was surprising was that Y/N went straight at him.