Evelyn// Daryl Dixon

02.

Showers. You didn't realize how much you missed one until you were in one. The water, warm, hot or cold, it was good. Watching that dirt pool at your feet but then wash right down the drain. Running your fingers through your hair and literally feeling how clean it was. Your hair could squeak because it was so clean, did you remember that? Evelyn didn't.

She changed into the clothes given to her by Maggie, that was Hershel's daughter, one of them. Hershel was the doctor fixing up Evelyn's nephew. Shane had snuck them past Rick and Carl, not a good time to have any type of reunion.

Evelyn walked outside barefoot, wanting to feel the grass underneath her feet. It was a luxury to take off your shoes, one you didn't get much anymore. She walked right off the porch and into the yard, there was no destination she headed towards.

Shane walked up behind Evelyn silently. He had missed her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she gasped.

"Shane, stop" she protested weakly.

"I missed my girl" he whispered into her neck.

"Please, not now. My brother doesn't even know I'm here, my nephew is half dead. It's not time for one of our childish hook ups" she pushed his arms off of him.

Greyson watched them from the bathroom. He went to shower after his mom. He rolled his eyes seeing them again. Shane was around a lot after Dwight left, filled in the void. Greyson though, he was smart enough to know that Shane wasn't around to help play Dad for free.

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the bathroom to shower now. He wasn't going to pay mind to them, not Shane at least. It was his job to take care of his mother, he took that upon himself. He knew the hurt she felt when the world fell, both times. Once when Dwight left, the second was when the dead rose. She was alone, raising her son in the apocalypse.

When he heard yelling he identified it as his mothers. He had luckily still been dressed, running downstairs to help his mom. Shane had been trying to force himself on her and she defended herself the best way she could in this moment, scream. Greyson pressed the gun to Shane's head firmly.

"Let her go, now" he growled.

Shane had raised his hands up in surrender. Evelyn finally standing upright, her hair a mess in her face. Her eyes teared up, feeling attacked and weak. Her son had to save her for the umpteenth time. Rick must've heard the screaming as well, as she had seen him on the porch. He was distressed, pale, sweaty and covered in blood from Carl. He placed a hand on his forehead, looking from his feet to Evelyn, doing a double take. Greyson putting the gun in his waistband swiftly.

"E, is that you?" Rick asked her.

"Yeah, me and Greyson" she shook off what had just happened to focus on her brother.

"W-when did you get here? How'd I—how'd I miss that?"

Evelyn just shook her head as she walked towards the porch to him. She wrapped her arms around him, glad to have him back. The one she had been searching for was here. It wasn't just some pipe dream after all.

"Doesn't matter, I'm here now" she whispered into the hug.

"Carl-Carl um, he was-was shot" Rick struggled to speak, fidgeting and pointing to the house.

"Yeah, I've been around long enough to know that"

"You're clean, where'd you come from. We've been on the road for weeks without anything. But you, you're clean" he rambled on.

"I showered here, Maggie and Beth helped me. Greyson was gonna shower next"

"Oh, Greyson, Greyson," Rick spoke and Greyson had made his way to his uncle for a brief hug "how've you been? Holding up?"

"Yeah. Me and mom, we've done it together. It's a team effort to survive" Greyson nodded.

"Yeah, he's really grown up fast" Evelyn smiled as she looked up at her son.

"Shane, has Shane seen you two are back? Maybe-maybe he'll stop screwing my wife now that you're back" he laughed, filled with delirium they laughed along as well, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"Yeah, we've seen him" Greyson sneered and glared back at Shane.

"Yeah, saw them after Carl was shot. Brought them back, thought you'd like to see some familiar faces, maybe support you a little better" Shane shrugged as he walked past Evelyn, eyeing her up and down.

"No, yeah. I'm just, I'm gonna go be with Carl again. Just, I'll be around. I swear, we aren't losing each other again, ever" Rick told them and turned to go back inside.

"I'm sorry you had to do that, Greyson. God, I'm your mother, I should be protecting you, not the other way around" Evelyn sighed.

"We're a team, mom. I'm not gonna leave you to fight for yourself. I need you, whether you think so or not" he shrugged it off.

Evelyn pulled him in for a hug and held him close to her for a second. She kissed his forehead and ruffled up his hair.

"Get your shower now, you smell like ass" she playfully shoved him away.

"You stay safe and I'll take a nice shower" he joked back and Evelyn just rolled her eyes.

Soon after he left, Maggie rushed past her.

"Hey, where are you going?" Evelyn asked curiously.

"Gettin Lori, why? Wanna tag along?" She chuckled as she walked backwards to keep up her pace.

"Well kinda, she's family" she shrugged.

"You gotta find a way back though"

"I will, their group is out there, I'm family, remember? Plus I can help identify her" Evelyn threw it out there in hopes to convince her.

"Yeah, Alright then" she nodded.

Evelyn rode behind Maggie. She held a baseball bat as a weapon of some sort. Maggie told her the way back to the farm using the roads. Coming along some group in the forest, seeing Lori in a huddle. One woman was being attacked by a walker, Maggie speeding up so Evelyn could knock it off her. Then eyes were on them.

"Evelyn?" Lori asked.

"Carl's been shot, Rick wants you there. Evelyn can lead the rest of your people back to the farm, but we need you" Maggie cut to the chase, Evelyn hopping off the horse.

"Hey, you cant just leave. We don't know her" some man grunted, he was absolutely filthy.

"She knows Evelyn, she's family" Maggie sassed before leaving.

"You a Grimes?" He asked Evelyn.

"Yeah" Evelyn answered.

"Great"