Daring Dixon (A Daryl Dixon fanfiction)

Chapter 39

We managed to put Rose to rest and then led Lilly back to the camp. I let her lean on me, my arm around her waist. If we would've gotten attacked, I couldn't protect myself. I would have to rely on Daryl, and if there were too many walkers, we'd all be goners.

We made it back unharmed, and Lilly went straight to the tent to lay down. I glanced at Daryl. His face was emotionless, giving nothing away, although I had a feeling that he wasn't exactly fine.

"Hey," I said, wrapping my arm around his waist, where he was sitting by the empty fire pit. He looked up at me, as if in a trance, and gave a small smile. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine. Just a little tired," he replied.

"You want to go inside the tent?" I asked. He shook his head.

"That little girl just got attacked. I'm not letting you sit out here by yourself," Daryl insisted.

"She got attacked because she had no weapons. I've got your pistol. I'll be fine. Go. Go to sleep," I instructed, pushing him towards the tent.

"Lilly's in there," Daryl said, coming up with yet another excuse.

"Fine. But I'm not going to save your ass if something happens," I mumbled. He smirked.

"Sure you won't," Daryl said cockily.

"I wouldn't," I shot back. Daryl chuckled.

"Why don't you go in and lay down?" he asked me.

"Because every time I have a spare moment to think, I keep replaying Rose's death in my head," I admitted quietly. "Only sometimes, instead of seeing Rose and Lilly, I see myself and my parents, or myself and Riley."

"You talk about him like he's a saint," Daryl said, sounding a little annoyed.

"Riley? He was. He never had anything to say about anyone and he loved life," I said, disregarding his annoyance.

"Whoop de doo," Daryl said under his breath. I narrowed my eyes, and I could feel the heat of anger begin to rise in my cheeks.

"Riley was a great man and my best and only friend. So if I'm not allowed to mourn and celebrate him, then we have an issue," I said, glaring at him.

Daryl immediately became defensive. "How long has he fucking been gone, Rosaline? Damnit, when Merle went missing, I didn't act like a crying fool. Obviously you need to take some notes," Daryl spat.

I sighed heavily, angrily, and marched off to the tent.

"Where are you going?" Daryl demanded.

"You're right, I should get some rest," I spat, not even bothering to turn around and look at him.

I entered the tent and was surprised to see that Lilly wasn't curled up inside the sleeping bag. Instead, she was sitting cross-legged, her back to the tent flap. I came in silent as possible, zipping the flap back up.

"You can have the sleeping bag," Lilly said without turning around.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" I asked her.

"Nah," she replied. I sighed, laying down on top of the sleeping bag and staring at the ceiling of the tent.

"You two were fighting," Lilly stated, more than asked.

"Umhm," I agreed.

"You two seem to do that an aweful lot," she said.

"We butt heads, but that's normal. In fact, Daryl didn't even want to be in a group with me, but the majority wanted me in so he learned to tolerate me. And now we're... close," I told her.