Evelyn// Daryl Dixon

09.

The next morning was quiet, it was foggy and gloom. Daryl was back on his feet, Greyson now had slept out in the camp with everyone else.

Evelyn and Greyson sat next to each other eating eggs that Carol had made.

"Hey, guys" Glenn said, catching everyone's attention "so," he paused;

"the barn is full of walkers"

Everyone had stopped in their actions. Andrea stopped wielding her knife, T-Dog put down his coffee and Rick stopped eating. They all naturally made their way down to the barn to see themselves. Shane took lead and looked through the keyhole of the barn door.

"You cannot tell me you're alright with this" Shane growled as he walked past rick.

"I am not but we're guests here. This isn't our land" Rick said, keeping a level head, he was good at that.

"This is our lives" Shane retaliated.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug" Andrea said.

"So we've two options here; we go in there and makes things right or we just go. We've been talking about Fort Benning for a long time" Shane paced.

"We can't go" Rick shook his head.

"Why?"

"My daughter is still out there" Carol said.

"Okay, okay okay," Shane repeated to himself, almost laughing, running his hands over his face "I think it's time we start to look at the other possibilities" he put his hands on his hips.

"Shane, we're not leaving Sophia behind" Rick stated.

"I'm close to findin this girl. I just found her damn doll two days ago!" Daryl exclaimed.

"You found her doll, Daryl. That's what you did. You found a doll" Shane told Daryl.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about" Daryl swing his arm towards Shane as he marched over to him.

"I'm just saying what has to be said. You get a good lead, it's in the first forty eight hours"

Greyson stepped between the two to cool some tension. Daryl hadn't stepped down but Rick pushed him back.

"And let me tell you something else, man," Shane said to Daryl who was now a few feet away "if she was alive out there and saw you coming all methed out with you buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction!"

The two then really went for each other. The whole group had to step in and help. Everyone shouting over each other. Evelyn pulled Shane back, shouting for him to stop. When Daryl was pulled away the dust started to settle.

"Don't you put your hands on me" Shane grit at Evelyn, a finger in her face.

"Just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out" Rick said to Shane in hopes of him calming down.

"What are you gonna figure out?" He shouted at Rick. Lori put a hand on his chest to keep him back.

"If we're gonna stay here, if we're gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land"

"Hershel sees those things in there as people, sick people," Dale chimed in "his wife, his-his stepson"

"You knew?" Rick asked him.

"Yesterday I talked to Hershel" Dale nodded.

"And you waited the night?" Shane jumped back in.

"I though we could survive one more night, and we did. I was waiting until this morning to say something but Glenn wanted to do it"

Due to the amount of yelling they had caused the walkers riled up. The doors of the barn swaying under the weight of the walkers inside. The others left but Evelyn stayed behind with Shane.

"I don't got nothin to say to you" Shane said.

"Well what the fuck does that mean?" She crossed her arms.

"I have nothing to say. No answers to your bullshit questions, nothing"

"Why? What changed in you Shane? Do you remember before all this, our wild hookups and movie nights. Now you're-your just-"

"What am I?"

"Cold. Shane, you're cold. To me, to Greyson, to Rick! That's your best friend"

"Shit ain't the same. Before all this, you were just a strung out single mom junkie with a broken marriage" he spat back in her face.

Evelyn threw her fist to his face. His head whipped to the side with the force of her punch. She wasn't strong but she was angry. Shane gripped her wrist tight and threw her back onto the ground. He kicked dirt towards her and turned his back on her. Evelyn scrambled to get up, biting back tears as she stomped back to camp. She brushed past Daryl on her way.

"Hey" he grunted but she ignored him because she thought he was just being a dick. But instead he went to catch up to her and touched her shoulder which she flinched from.

"What?" She asked trying to stand strong.

"I saw that out there, he threw ya" he said, he couldn't look her in the eye for long.

"Thanks for the recap" her voice broke and a tear fell but she made sure to quickly wipe it away.

"I told ya he was a prick. Ya don't need him, you got us now"

"Why do you care?" She asked in surprise of Daryl's unlikely act of kindness. He had only been cold and closed off with her so this was new.

"I-I just do" he shrugged, lying to her as he knew exactly why.

"Is it because those scars on your back? Someone treat you bad too? Feeling some kind of victim of abuse pity?"

"You can call it pity if ya want. I was just tryna help"

"I'm sorry. Just, my guard is up. I guess you know why"

"Don't apologize. Just stay safe, keep your boy away from him too. He's bad business" he told her before going back to wherever he was going.

Evelyn smiled to herself, tears flowing. She laughed at herself for being so stupid. Stupid enough to think Shane was good. Stupid enough to hit Shane. Stupid enough to fall head over heels for Daryl's kindness. She went to her tent and took a few more pills before dragging her stuff out of her tent and into Greyson's.

"I'm moving in" she laughed as she laid the one article of clothing she had to her name.

"About time you moved out of Shane's place" Greyson moved over for her to sit.

"Yeah, I think I'll like it better here" she sighed with a sad smile.