Triggerfinger ➳ Daryl Dixon

f o u r t e e n

The group sat quietly around the fire, divided into their own little groups. They were all wary of the new stranger among them, but also curious. Who wouldn't wonder where Presley got her wit and stubbornness? 

Daryl stayed close to Presley, but not so close that he was interfering with her time with her father. He didn't like leaving her alone for too long, as that pig-headed mind of hers tended to jut itself into different situations without completely considering all of the consequences. 

They were discussing their time apart, but Daryl did note that she didn't mention anything that had to do with the Governor. Those experiences had changed her; they made her stronger and weaker in different ways. 

"I found the note you left me." He sounded a bit grim. "In your apartment. Why didn't you wait for me? You would have been safe in Colorado-- the mountains were cold." 

"I thought I was doing what I was supposed to at the time." She shrugged. "Atlanta seemed like a long shot, but it was one of the last places to get infected." 

"You should have known I was coming for you." He muttered. 

"I did." She admitted. "And you found me."

Zeva let out a dark, threatening growl. The sound made the entire group of survivors go silent, gazing around the dense woods around them. John was the first one to make a move. He pulled a long knife from a holster on his belt. The jagged edge glinted in the firelight as he moved swiftly towards the danger that approached the group.

Presley was ruthless, but the way that John dropped the walker without blinking made Daryl's blood run cold. This man was... Cold. His goal had been to find his daughter, and Daryl couldn't help but wonder what he had done in order to find her. Presley had no real goal in life, and she'd gone through many hardships. What exactly did John do while he was looking for her? The better question was, what would he do now that he had found her.

He won't take her from me... His throat tightened as he glimpsed at her. Her raven hair was sleek with oil, but somehow, she managed to make the look work. Her clothes were old and tattered, but he couldn't bring himself to imagine her in anything cleaner or newer. The look suited her. He can't take her from me. I don't.. I can't loose her. 

Presley had always spoken fondly of her father. Would she leave the group if it meant being with him? Would she abandon Daryl and the group she once called family to run off with the single man she'd grown up with? The question weighed heavily on Daryl's mind as he secluded himself from the rest of the group and willed himself to sleep. 

- - -

"Dare, wake up." Presley's pale face hovered just inches away from his. If he pulled her down and pushed himself up, it would be quite easy to plant a kiss on her smiling lips. She seemed genuinely happy that morning. "Are you ready?"

"Fer what?" He groaned, propping himself up so that he was even closer to her. Her breath was minty, signaling that she had just popped one of those Altoids into her mouth. 

"To hunt? They need breakfast." She said, reaching down to help haul him to his feet. He wiped his brow and then rubbed his eyes. 

"I figured you woulda went with yer dad." 

She seemed surprised, "Why do you say that?" 

Daryl had no filter that morning, it seemed. "Actually, I expected you to be gone by morning." 

Her shoulders fell, and a look that border-lined disappointment and anger clouded her face. "Why would I do that? I'm not about to abandon you guys." 

"But he's your dad." 

She surprised him by reaching out and grabbing his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "And you're here, Daryl." She said, sincerity dripping from her soft tone. "I'm not going anywhere without you." 

Her words relaxed Daryl. Too soon she dropped his hand and thrust his crossbow into his chest, bearing a proud, mischievous grin. "I betcha I can bag more than you this morning. I'm having a good feeling about today." 

"You go ahead and try, little girl." 

"I am not little." 

"Yeah, you are." He teased. "But your attitude is big enough to fill three of you." 

"Ha-ha." 

Turns out, Presley did manage to bag more than Daryl this time. They moved quietly through the woods, the both of them savoring the sweet silence that hung between them. Daryl and Presley weren't the sort of couple that had to be talking at all times. Being beside each other was enough for them.

"How do you feel about snakes?" Daryl asked suddenly after she bagged the last squirrel. 

"Nasty little vermins." She slung the potato sack filled with two squirrels and large hare over her back. "How do you feel about piranhas?" 

"They're fine." He lied. The idea of being eaten alive by a fish was... Well, a very scary idea at the very least.

"Mmhmm, sure." She chuckled. "You know, you don't have to be the tough one all the time." 

Changing the subject, he walked slowly beside her, "Where's Zeva?" 

"With Judith." She said. "Kid was using her as a pillow, so Zeva seemed to get the memo that she couldn't move." 

"She's a good dog." 

"Yeah." She said with a small shrug. "I got lucky when I found her."

"Ye did." He glanced at her. At that moment, she looked care-free. The wind tossed her hair in many directions. He never understood why she kept it so long, but he would probably be heart-broken if she did decide to cut it. Her pale skin seemed to glow under the fresh morning light. 

"Come on, let's get back." She said, wrapping her arm around his bicep. They walked back like that until they reached the camp, where she parted to greet her freshly-awaken father. 

She was happy, but that didn't stop Daryl from being jealous of the man. He watched them curiously, refusing to flinch when John looked up and met his gaze.

Yes, John was a very cold man. 

I promised an early update if I got some questions, so I was really pleased to see that I got some. This will probably be one of the last updates as school starts very soon, but I still encourage you to vote and comment. If you ask more questions for Q&A, I betcha I can squeeze out another chapter or two before things get too chaotic ;)

AmandaForrester5: How has your summer been?
Quite uneventful, but I like it that way. It's a relief. 

hannahverzani: what's your favorite part about writing this story?
Hmm... Well, probably the escape. Being able to write and escape my own world.. It's a bittersweet sort of thing, and you have to be a writer to understand it. Presley's world isn't a better one, but it's a world away from my own.

ardenbabe: How long did it take for you to get the whole plot of Arrowhead and Triggerfinger together?
Great question. Truth is, when I started Arrowhead, I didn't have any clue what I was doing. I just kept imagining this character in the TWD world, and I couldn't get it out of my head. So then I just... Put her in there. As time went on I got a little bit more organized and actually began forming plots. I wouldn't say the plot for Triggerfinger is finished in my head, because I keep coming up with ideas and other things that twist the story every which way. I guess from the moment I started Arrowhead to the moment that I finished it was the time it took... And triggerfinger is still an ongoing process. 

Thank you so much for your questions, I really appreciate them! I would love to hear some more if you have any ^^ 

Hope you all have a great day xo