Future Ghosts • TWD

61. Hurtin'.

Everyone was gathered around the church, enjoying their meals and laughing along at each other's stories. Rosie was sitting crisscross on the floor, across from Eugene. She'd been asking him questions every second she got the chance. Daryl was watching quietly from a few feet away. He had to interrupt, so she would eat something, but he also didn't want to. She was happy, in that moment, learning more and more about dinosaurs. He didn't want to interrupt that. But he had to because she needed to eat something before all the food was gone.

"What was the biggest dinosaur ever?" Rosie was asking Eugene, holding her chin in her hands.

"I believe that would be the titanosaur," Eugene replied.

"How big was it?" Rosie asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Approximately 70 tons, if I do remember correctly."

"How tall?"

"Rosie," Daryl's voice said. Looking up, Rosie could see that he was standing behind her. "Come on, eat somethin'," he said, nodding his towards the table, where all the food was laid out.

"I'm not hungry," Rosie told him. That wasn't true. She just wanted to keep talking about dinosaurs. And not eat vegetables.

"You were earlier," Daryl said, raising his eyebrows a little bit. Rosie wanted to roll her eyes, but she didn't because that would annoy Daryl.

"That was when I thought there might be somethin' other than vegetables," Rosie said. She turned back to Eugene. "How tall were titanosaurs?"

"Rose, come on. Up," Daryl said. He took hold of her upper arm and pulled her up to her feet. Despite her complaints, he led her over to the table and filled up a plate up for her. When he was done making the plate, the two of them sat down on the ground next to one of the pews. Daryl had his knees bent while Rosie kept her legs flat out in front of her, so they could hold the plate for her. She gradually started poking at the food. She hated vegetables. Especially green beans. "Eat it," Daryl said sternly.

"Okay," Rosie said. She reluctantly took a bite of the vegetables, trying to pretend that it tasted good. That's what Fraser used to tell her to do. Just pretend it tastes good and maybe you'll trick yourself into believin' it, he'd say. "Ya left without tellin' me today," Rosie suddenly brought up, glancing over at Daryl.

"I know," Daryl said with a sigh. "Left with Carol when Rick was talkin' to ya. Didn't wanna interrupt. Looked serious."

"I thought ya died or got lost or somethin'," Rosie told him, furrowing her eyebrows. It did take awhile for him to come back. Dinosaur facts can only distract someone for so long. After about an hour of talking about dinosaurs with Eugene, her worry for Daryl and Carol started to take over. But they did come back. Eventually. During her time spent worrying, Rosie even considered the possibility that he left again. But she told herself, no, he wouldn't do that. He said so.

"I'm sorry. Shoulda jus' waited," Daryl said. Rosie nodded in understanding. "If I got lost, I'd just find ya again, anyway. Find all y'all," he said after a moment.

"You are good at trackin'," Rosie said, nodding again. They sat quietly for a few more moments, Rosie carefully picking through her vegetables to avoid the green beans.

"What was Rick talkin' to you about?" Daryl eventually asked.

Rosie's eyebrows furrowed again and she swallowed. "Said I'm not safe. Ever. 'Cause I'm little and that makes me a target. And I can't let my guard down," she explained. Daryl looked at her side profile for a moment. He wished that that wasn't true, but it was.

"He's right," Daryl said.

"I know," Rosie said. She was just quiet after that.

"Eugene knows a bunch a' shit about dinosaurs, huh?" Daryl asked, changing the subject to something that would leave her in a good mood, hopefully.