EXTRA: I'm writing a new story! I hope you all read it, it's another Daryl Dixon fiction! Love you all thanks for being patient as I update, I'm trying to re-watch this season before I continue since its been so long.
We hadn't been walking much longer before the group began to get tired. I myself had trouble continuing at the same pace. My legs still ached and I was simply exhausted. I think that only brought Daryl's guard up even more, because he followed me extremely close, his arm sometimes tugging me closer to him if I stepped a little away or leaned to my left. We all froze when we heard yelling, but for some reason I ran towards it.
Daryl tried to grab my hand and say my name, but I was too quick. When I got to the noise, a man was on a rock surrounded by only two walkers. I felt myself stop and raise my eyebrows at him, but he only begged me to help once again. I swiftly killed the two walkers before Daryl was behind me, automatically grabbing me and pulling me behind the group. He checked my whole body, although he tried to hide it from the man in front of us.
He wore a priests robe and collar, making me glance at him and away from Daryl every few minutes. Rick talked to him, while Daryl focused on me. "You can't just run off like that, Kat." I rolled my eyes, but nodded.
"I know, Dare. I know." He furrowed his eyes, letting out a small growl.
"Then why the hell'd you do it?"
"I don't know Dare." Rick stopped our whisper argument with a look that could kill, before deciding our next course of action.
"I'm thirsty." Taylor whispered to me as we walked through the woods. I handed her my canteen, looking back up at the Georgia sun before taking it back from her. She looked at me for a second. "I'm sorry, Kat... You shouldn'ta had t-" I cut her off with my hand, making Daryl's look on me only intensify.
I looked at her, thinking of what to say. I couldn't say it's okay, because it most definitely wasn't okay. I wasn't okay. I only looked, but she seemed to be reading her mind, because a hurt expression hit her face and she took my hand in hers.
"Maybe I'm just leading you all into a trap so I can steal your squirrels!" I looked at the priest who smirk at all of, but... He wasn't at all menacing. I let out a huff of a laugh and he looked at me, excitement flushing through his system. Rick glared, along with a good half of the group.
I rolled my eyes as the preacher ushered for me to walk beside him. I did, to Daryl's discomfort. He glared at the preacher who now only spoke to me. "What were you like before this happened?" I hadn't been asked that question in a long time. Long enough that I honestly didn't remember the answer.
"I dunno." I shrugged, eyes searching the trees for a walker.
"Oh, that's not good! Is something on your mind?" I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He was seeming to be happy. I shook my head slowly, but his eyebrows raised. "Cast your burden upon the lord, he will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."
"Don't start quoting Pslam at me now. Ain't wanting to hear that shit."
"So you know where it's from! Do you read the bible often?" I looked at him, his smile meeting my eyes. It was nice to see someone so.. Normal, after all of this. All I had seen for so long was people that were destroyed by this, but the priest in front of me was still... Hopeful.. And I almost thanked God for it.
"Only ever read it once." I replied.
"When?" He seemed honestly fascinated, making me raise an eyebrow.
"Uh, not too long ago... Few days maybe." I raised my knife and threw it quickly, watching a squirrel fall. Daryl picked it up and handed me back my knife, staying beside me now as we walked. If you asked me, him picking up the squirrel was just to have an excuse to walk up to me.
The rest of the walk was silent, mainly because every time Gabriel tried to speak to me, he got a glare from Daryl. When we got up to the church, it seemed untouched. The red headed man was looking at the church bus, but Daryl only took me to the side of it, gripping my hand tight in his.
"What's wrong with you, Kat?" I raised my eyebrows. "What happened?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Dare."
"Don't pull that on me... C'mon. Tell me. I'm not someone who needs to be shielded, Kat. If something happened... I... I mean if you thought I was dead and-"
"No, no, no. Nothing like that Daryl... I wouldn't do that." I responded quickly. I honestly don't know how he'd believe I'd do anything like that.
"Then what the hell happened, Kat?"
I felt myself look down, hiding the tears the welled up in my eyes. "Daryl." I felt arms around me, tightly holding me close to him.
"What. Happened." His words were soft, but filled with emotion.
"I didn't wanna do it Dare... I told her to put the knife down everything would've worked out if she just would've." I sat against the church, my head in my hands.
"Who? Baby, who?"
I looked at him, wanting to say the name but it wouldn't come out. I shook my head and pushed it into his shoulder, letting out a quiet sob.
"She's talkin' bout Lizzie." I heard Taylor's quiet, calm voice. "Lizzie had a knife to my throat... She killed Mika. We... We were about to tell on her... She was the one feeding the walkers at the fence... Daryl, it wasn't her fault." The last part was a sob, and she got on her knees next to me and I held her, moving slightly away from Daryl to do so. I felt like crap, and I was sure Daryl thought I was some sort of cold blooded killer. Who shoots a little girl like that?
Right as I was going to get Taylor up and walk away, I felt Daryl pull both of us closer to him, holding me as I held her. "You had to do what you had to do, Kat..."
