𝓗𝓮𝔂 𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵 | 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓵 𝓓𝓲𝔁𝓸𝓷

Chapter 4: Daryl Dixon

I woke up to the light piercing through the tent. I rubbed my eyes lightly before stretching and slowly becoming more alert.

I exited the tent and breathed in the fresh air.

"Hey, " A small voice said. I looked down to find Carl looking up at me with a thoughtful expression.

"Hi there, " I said crouching down to his level.

"I've seen you before. At the hospital where my Dad was."

"Yes. I went to visit him a few times."

"How did you know him?"

"I was working on a case with him and Shane, "
"So you're a police officer?"

"Not exactly."

I stood up and started to wander around the camp getting familiar with the surroundings Carl still with me.

"Then what are...or were you?" Carl asked thoughtfully.

"I was a supervisory special agent in the FBI, " I answered and saw Carl's face light up.

"Awesome!" He cheered.

I smiled at him before Lori started calling for him and ran off to meet her. I offered the brown-haired woman a small wave which she returned.

I wandered around the camp for a little while after that until I was approached by Carol.

"Hey. If you want I can clean those other clothes you were wearing yesterday for you, " she offered kindly.

"I would definitely appreciate it. Let me just go get them, " I smiled before running back to the tent to grab my clothes which I then gave to Carol thanking her once more.

"Hey. No! What're you doing!" I heard Glenn exclaim. I wandered over and found Glenn with his arms crossed staring at the poor car being stripped for parts.

"Damn. I liked that car, " I sighed as Rick joined us.

"Look at them. Vultures. Yeah go on strip it clean, " Glenn said bitterly.

"Generator needs every drop of fuel it can get. No power without it, " Dale pointed out.

I left the two after that walking around the rest of the camp liking how quiet and calm it all was. It was a while since I felt a little at peace in this whole thing and a long while since I could look around and not find a blood smear or a corpse or a walker trying to get me for lunch.

The screams of Carl and the other girl Sophia wrenched me from that moment of peace.

I ran off immediately drawing my gun from its holsters and following after Rick and Shane. Carl and Sophia were okay. The only one who wasn't seemed to be the poor deer that a walker was feasting on. The others that were there before I was, already hacking at the walker until one decapitated it.

I calmed down a little and lowered my gun but as soon as I heard the snapping of twigs and footsteps it was up again pointed in the direction of the noise.

Everyone else did the same until we all saw a man emerge holding a crossbow. I once again lowered my gun and this time holstered it. Out of instinct, my hand moved over to the hilt of the knife that sat sheathed at my hip.

"Son of a bitch. That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this... Filthy-" he kicked the corpse"-disease-bearing-" he kicked it again"- motherless-" and again"poxy bastard," and again.

Well, this must be Daryl Dixon.

Dale told him to stop kicking the corpse which caused Daryl to snap at him before complaining about how long he had been tracking the deer.

After Shane told him that we couldn't risk cutting around the chewed parts the head of the walker that had been doing the chewing began to move around again.

"Oh God, " Amy exclaimed disgusted from behind where I stood.

"Come on people what the hell, " Daryl said fed up. Before he could shoot the head I had already swiftly buried my knife into its head.

"It's got to be the brain, " I reminded.

"Least one a ya'll got some brains left," He huffed.

"Doesn't exactly require a lot to remember to go for the head," I said brushing myself off and standing up eyeing the brutish man in front of me who was covered in dirt.

Back at the camp, Daryl began shouting for his brother whilst the rest of us slowly followed behind.

"Daryl slow up a bit. I need to talk to you, " Shane said.

" 'bout what?"

"About Merle. There was a, uh, problem in Atlanta."

"He dead?"

"We're not sure."

"He either is or he ain't, " Daryl said getting more annoyed. I was beginning to see why the others had been so concerned about telling him about Merle.

Daryl soon lost what control he had left and tried to attack Rick and Shane which left him being in a chokehold.

T-dog explained what he had done and how Merle was still locked up on that rooftop. I looked at Daryl and saw that behind all the anger he was actually quite upset about losing his brother. That I could certainly relate to. So when Rick said he was going back to get Merle I knew I would be going back with him.

Daryl wandered off back to his tent and I followed knowing I would need to remove my stuff.

"Who the hells crap is this?" He mumbled to himself.

"Mine. I'll get it out of your way."

"Who are you?"

"Lilith Mortis. Look I'm sorry about what happened to your brother."

"Sure, " he dismissed.

"I mean it, " I said as I stepped into the tent and grabbed my bag.

"Believe it or not I understand how you feel but at least you still have a chance to get him back."

I looked to Daryl who was staring at me.

"Thanks, " he mumbled taking interest in something lying around the tent.

"Here. This was your brothers I think it's best you have it so you can give it back to him when we find him."

I handed him the gun that I had gotten from Merle from the incident on the rooftop.

"Why are ya being so nice to me?" He asked a little suspiciously.

"You haven't given me a reason not to be and besides your already having a crappy day why should I make it worse?" I answered exiting the tent. I hadn't gotten far when I heard footsteps. 

"You can leave ya stuff here if you'd like. I know there ain't nowhere else for you to sleep if your stuff was already here, " he offered.

"This is your space I don't want to intrude, " I said.

"Nah it's cool. Besides unlike most of those guys I actually think I might be able to get along with ya, " he smirked.

"Oh what an honour it is, " I said dramatically with a smile returning my things to where they had been as Daryl gave me an amused look.

"Am I already making you rethink your decision?" I laughed.

"Nah. Not yet anyway."

There was a moment of silence before Daryl spoke again.

"What happened to your brother?"

"I'd rather not talk about that yet. I may not dislike you but that doesn't mean I trust you yet."

"That's fine. As long as ya tell me eventually."

"We'll see and for now would you mind keeping the whole me having a brother to yourself, " I asked.

Daryl looked at me a little confused but agreed with a shrug.
Maybe he could be trusted after all.