Trust Me | Daryl Dixon

Part 82

The mans words stuck in my head like a post-it note; a small reminder of a possibility that loomed over my head, and I knew that's exactly what he was going for. Leaving the safety of Alexandria's walls meant that we had to accept whatever might happened, no matter how difficult, whether we want to or not.
All my life, my fear has been something that crippled me and stopped me from doing things that I knew I could, but now, with everything at stake, it's what continued to drive me forward. I'm scared-- there's no hiding that, but I'm more afraid of losing those close to me than losing my own life.. and I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse.

My eyes tiredly opened as I felt a pat against my leg, looking up as I saw Rick standing above me before I sat up, removing my legs from the length of the couch.

"You tired?" Rick asked, taking a seat beside me as the RV swayed over the road.

I rubbed at my eyes, trying to wake myself up fully before nodding, "Sleeps been kinda here and there the past few days," I shrugged, murmuring lowly, "I think just mentally, with all this stress and everything, I'm shot."

"Yeah," Rick breathed, rubbing over the scruff on his face, "I think we're all feeling that right about now."

I bit at the inside of my cheek, nodding, the same thing on my mind as always, "Where do you think Daryl is right now?" I asked quietly, feeling as though my question was coming off needy or annoying.

"There's no real telling," Rick shrugged, shaking his head, "I'd like to hope he's back at Alexandria, but then again, knowing Daryl, he wouldn't be back there for long after finding out I took you with me."

We shared a small laugh as a childlike smile broke onto my face, for a split second all worry about the future disappearing, "Remember when you asked me if there was anything going on between Daryl and I, and I said no?" I asked, rhetorically.

Rick nodded, trying to keep a straight face as he leaned back on the couch, very aware of the joke, "Yeah, I think I can recall something like that."

I bit down on my bottom lip as I looked over to him, trying to hold back a laugh as we both attempted to find light in the dark situation we were stuck in, "I kinda lied."

Rick nodded slowly, a smile busting onto his face before he shrugged again, "I figured."

"Bitch nuts." Abraham's voice lowly murmured from the drivers seat, immediately changing the tone of the situation back down to where it began.

Everyone slowly gathered by the front window again, a sick case of deja vu setting in as another roadblock stood in our path.

"We making our stand?" Sasha asked, looking up at Rick from the passenger seat.

"Yeah, we end it." Carl breathed, breaking the silence that was created as we all stood in utter shock and confusion.

"No, not now." Rick shook his head, his stare stuck out the window, "They've been waiting-- they're ready."

"They're all armed and we're stuck in the open.. I don't know how much of a fair chance we'd have." I said honestly.

Rick nodded, "With one of us on the wheel, that's six on sixteen; we're gonna play it our way-- how we want it. Right?" He asked, looking back at Carl.

"Right." Carl admittedly agreed.

Rick let out a inaudible breath, patting Abraham on the shoulder as the RV shifted into gear, "Alright-- go slow."

A man at the front of the group outside let bullets ring into the air as we backed up, the noise causing a chill to shoot up my spine with each round that met the sky.

***

"How're we on gas?" Rick asked Abraham as I stayed up front with them, unable to sit still.

"Half a tank," Abraham answered, "I pulled some cans more before we left."

"Those weren't the same men who blocked the road the first time." Sasha informed, confirming something we were all worried about.

"Same outfit, different soldier." Abraham added, "They got numbers."

Rick nodded, "Yeah, we keep driving, we get her there."

"We will." Sasha reassured.

"If we have to shove each and every one of them up their own asses-" Abraham began before pausing, the brakes squealing beneath us as my breath hitched in my throat at the sight.

"We can't go through it-- can't risk the RV." Rick sighed as we looked to a chain of walkers strung across the road, "You stay behind the wheel just in case," he instructed to Abraham, picking up his rifle, "We'll clear it."

***

"Stay close." Carl said under his breath, gun drawn, as I followed behind him out of the RV.

"Putting together a red rover like that takes people-- a lot of them." Eugene pointed out as we slowly approached, inspecting the situation.

"I don't think any of us are doubting the amount of people this group has." I murmured quietly, scanning over the area around us.

"Come on, let's do this." Rick said finally, putting his gun away in exchange for his axe.

"Dad.." Carl breathed, getting his attention, causing me to pause as I reached for my knife.

"That's Michonne's." Aaron pointed out as we neared one of the walkers, my heart sinking to my stomach as we noticed the dreadlock pinned to its skull.

"That's Daryl's." Sasha added, my head quickly turning to her before finding what she was looking at; two arrows that stuck straight out of the torso of one of the chained walkers.

I felt breathless-- as if I had just been kicked in the chest. Millions of thoughts raced through my mind in a matter of mere seconds, none of them good, as I felt the world around me begin to do what it seemed to do best-- crumble into pieces.

I looked up, just as Rick swung his axe in the direction of the walker that stood in front of him, before a rain of bullets was showered upon us, sending me straight out of my daze as we scattered.

"Get back to the RV!" Rick yelled through the haze of shot up dust, "Go!"

_____
I think they'll only be 1, maybe 2, chapters left of this fanfic, and then it's onto book #3!
I really wanted to add some more sweet bonding moments in here between Rick and Liz and also a super small one between Liz and Carl, just because stuff is about to get crazy, you know.

Also, if you're into FTWD, I'm currently writing a Nick Clark fanfic and I'm really liking it, so feel free to go to my account and check that out!

AND please let me know how you felt about this book as a whole, I love hearing what you guys think about my writing/characters/storyline choices.