The Walking Dead: Danielle Grimes

94.

Danielle's POV

When the thudding comes again, I lean around the shelf and come face to face with Daryl. His frown matching my own. "It's just one." I say as the thudding returns for the third time. Daryl nods in agreement. "Sounds like it's stuck."

I go back to my side of the shelf and dump all the bottles I could find into my bag. I couldn't reach the ones on the top shelf and I had to climb on the bottom shelf. Holding myself up with one hand, I struggle to knock the bottles into my bag.

I feel movement behind me and when I turn, my grip slips. I fall back, crashing into Daryl's chest. "Ya need a stool darlin'?" He teases.

"Dick." I mutter under my breath. He smirks stepping closer as my back presses against the shelf. He puts his finger under my chin, lifting my lips to his. He kisses me softly making me sigh.

He pulls away still smirking and clears the top shelf into his bag, easily. He looks a smugly as I scowl at him.

Glass shatters behind us and we both whirl to see Denise standing over a broken display. "What the hell are you doing?" I snap at her.

Doesn't she know that walkers have sensitive hearing?

"Nothing." She mutters as she walks out of the store. I exchange a look with Daryl as he shrugs and finishes up.

When we're done, we step back into the daylight to find Denise sitting on the sidewalk. She's looking away from us, trying to hide her tears.

Great. This is exactly what we need.

"Hey." Daryl says gently as he steps up to her. "Ya did a good job finding this place." Denise nods and she swipes the tears in her face as she stood, climbing to her feet roughly.

"He tried to tell you, we both did." I say gently. "I know." She agrees as the three of us set of down the road. After a long uncomfortable silence, Daryl speaks up. "So was he older or younger?"

"Older. By six minutes. My parents came up with Dennis/Denise thing on one of their benders. Hilarious right." Denise answers. "He was brave. Nothing scared him. He was angry, too. It's kind of a dangerous combination."

Daryl snorts. "Looks like we had the same brother." My heart clenches at the thought of Merle and I can tell it clenches Daryl's heart as well as he catches my eye.

We cross the train tracks and Denise and I keep walking. I hesitate when Daryl stops walking. Instead he turns down the tracks. "Hey." I call to him.

"This way's faster right?" He points down the tracks. And he starts walking as we begin to follow him.

We pass a traffic snarl but don't stop to kill the walkers. The cars are way too old and the walkers aren't causing any harm so there's no point wasting time to kill them.

"Hey." We both stop and turn to Denise had stopped a few yards back from us. "There's a cooler in there!" She calls to us. "Might be something we can use inside!"

I shake my head. "We got what we came for." We have the meds and had made it through with out a fight.

Daryl shakes his head, agreeing with me. "Nah, she's right. Ain't worth the trouble, come on." Daryl calls as we keep walking.

All of the sudden we here Denise cry out. The two of us whirl and take of running as she falls to the ground, trapped under a walker. By the time we get there, she rolls it over and held her machete in her hand. I pull out a throwing knife, ready to intervene.

"No don't!" Denise yells to me. She grunts and fights until she's finally able to stab it in the skull. Daryl and I share an annoyed, pissed off look. This is why we don't bring newbies. When she stands, Daryl snatches up his gun angrily.