The Last Dixon

ꜱɪx- 𝙾𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝙴𝚢𝚎𝚜

Nobody slept that night. How could we? The air was full of death and grief. The sight of Andrea still sitting over Amy was heartbreaking, but there was nothing we could do to help except be there for her.

Daryl raised hell with the group after he saw what's happened to me. He was angry about my face, but he was also angry at the fact that I was alone when everything went down.

When he went to go confront Ed, he came back not looking as angry but with a few more blood splatters on him than before. Everyone panicked before he assured him it was walker blood. No one allowed Sophia to go near the tent, but Rick and Shane went with Carol to go check out what happened.

While they did that, Daryl dragged me to our tent and lectured me about jumping in the way I did, for wandering off the way I did too.

The Georgia sun was relentless even in the fall, so right now in the afternoon when the sun was at its peak it felt like a sauna. While the adults were working on clearing the camp of bodies, I was told to watch the kids. Neither of them slept that night either, especially Sophia.

Even though her dad was a piece of shit, he was still her dad, and I understood that. I felt so bad for her, I was just glad she didn't have to see it.

Sophia and Carl were both curled up onto my lap, each child using each thigh as a pillow. We were inside The Grimes' tent, waiting for them to be done with the bodies. Carl had finally fallen asleep with my arm draped over him protectively, and Sophia was just starting to doze off.

"Ellie?" Sophia called out softly from beside me. I looked down at her to see her staring up at me tiredly.

"Hmm?" I asked as I gently brought my hand up and combed my fingers through her short strawberry blonde hair.

"Are you still gonna leave?" She asked, the worry evident in her voice. After last night's attack, I could only imagine how scared she was.

With Merle gone and it just being me and Daryl now, I couldn't see why we'd leave. Just by us being here and helping clean up told me we weren't going anywhere.

"I don't think so," I replied as I gave her a reassuring smile. She nodded her head before snuggling back into my lap silently.

Finding out that they didn't find Merle in the city was a serious Texas Smash to the gut. Daryl wouldn't tell me much, just that he was gone when they got there, which really got me thinking, did Merle not come back for us because of me?

I sat there, throwing away my personal thoughts, continuing to hold each of the kids as I stared at the entrance of the tent, waiting. My gun was sitting on Carl's cot, ready to be drawn and used just in case. I swore to both Lori and Carol that I'd protect them with my life if needed, and I fully intended on keeping that promise.

Shouts were heard outside, I couldn't make out what they were saying, all I could hear was "Bit" so I could only imagine how good that conversation was going. Sophia jolted from her sleep at their shouting and I silently cursed them for being so loud. Sophia just fell asleep.

"Shh, it's okay, everything's okay," I whispered as I began to comb my fingers through her hair soothingly again.

She let out a few whimpers as she clung onto me but I just continued to mutter soothing words until she calmed down. The shouting stopped and was replaced with mutters from our—now—smaller group.

"Ellie?" Carl groaned out as he shifted under me. My attention turned from the entrance to his concerned icy blue eyes.

"What's up, C?" I whispered in an attempt to not wake up Sophia. Carl got comfortable beside me before continuing.