A/N: This is my first TWD fanfiction and the first ff I've shared in, I think, 8 years. I'm super nervous about it. I've read over what I've written so many times I'm having difficulty getting a good perspective on it anymore so instead of editing it for the millionth time I thought I'd go ahead and post it.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead.
Chapter One
She always looked ready to run, muscles tense, eyes constantly wandering around, her body on full alert waiting to spring into action at the first sign of trouble. It was a lifetime of conditioning, a lifetime of shit hitting the fan at a moment's notice. If it wasn't her now deceased dad it was Merle and if it wasn't Merle then God help the person that messed with the Dixons.
Marianne felt the sweat trickle down her neck. The hot Georgian sun beat down on her as she finished cleaning the last of the blood off of their hunting knives. Daryl was busy and Merle sure as hell couldn't be bothered in his state. Marianne frowned. She seemed to always be cleaning up Merle's messes and the end of the world hadn't changed that.
Finished with her task, she looked around camp and watched everyone go about their business. The two blonde sisters, Amy and Andrea, and that boy's mom, Lori, were preparing dinner from the skinned squirrels Daryl had killed close to camp. Hunger made everyone quickly get over their reservations about eating the meat.
The three women burst out laughing and a pang of loneliness hit her but she shook it off. She wasn't lonely. She had Daryl and, for better or worse, Merle. She didn't need to get close to these people. Getting close made her weak. The less people you cared about the better in this new world, but she missed female company so she listened in.
Marianne's hearing was far better than people gave her credit for. Except for Daryl, who'd swear that she had superhuman hearing. 'Like a bat or somethin'.' So it wasn't hard to hear the conversations going on around camp and she heard plenty of complaining about 'those Dixons.'
"Guess who's looking at us?" Amy asked. Marianne glanced away but kept an ear turned towards them.
"Who?" Andrea asked.
"The Dixon sister."
"Her name is Marianne, Amy. I'm sure she'd appreciate you using it. Go on, ask her to join us. She won't bite."
"She certainly looks like she could. "
"Don't be mean."
"I'm not. That's a compliment. I wish I was as badass as her."
"I don't think she has a choice with those brothers of hers." Lori joined in on the conversation. "Imagine having to grow up with them around. It's enough to make you hard."
"Do you think they stop her from trying to get friendly with us?" Amy asked
"I wouldn't be surprised."
Marianne didn't need to hear anymore and decided she didn't need their company, so she stood up and moved to put the knives away. Marianne wasn't a social recluse like Daryl but she also wasn't a social butterfly. There had been a few close friends over the years. Probably all dead. I only have my brothers now. God help me. But she didn't think God would help and it didn't matter to her, not being particularly religious.
A week had passed and she couldn't get rid of the desire to join the other women and it was still the same when she woke up that morning. Even though the sun hadn't finished rising most of the camp was awake. Marianne had always been an early riser but today was little special. For the first time, a group was going into Atlanta instead of Glenn flying solo.
Marianne had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, a larger group meant a greater risk, but on the other, more people meant more supplies were coming back. Supplies they really needed. Their group was like a plague of locusts consuming everything in sight. Rationing barely helped and in the beginning people didn't take it seriously. She didn't bother to worry too much about it since she was far from in charge. The logistics of the group's survival wasn't her problem. If need be, she'd be out of there along with her brothers. If anyone could survive on their own, it was them.
After satisfying her curiosity about the supply run, she went about her normal routine, which meant Marianne was having a peaceful morning, despite the extra noise, until Merle gave her the news.
"You're crazy and high as a kite. There's no way you're goin' to Atlanta. Unless you want to get yourself killed."
"Nothin' can kill Merle but Merle. And since when did I answer to you, little sis?"
"When you decided to act like a child."
Merle laughed.
"Daryl, back me up." Up to this point, her other brother had been very interested in the dirt under his fingernails. He shrugged.
"He's a grown man. Let him do what he wants."
Marianne scoffed. She should've expected this kind of answer. Why did she even bother in the first place? "Fine. But expect an 'I told you so' when it all goes to hell."
This time Merle scoffed. "You worry too much Annie."
"And you don't worry enough."
Merle ruffled her hair and she pushed his arm away. "You're an ass." Merle just laughed again as he walked to the car that would take him to Atlanta.
She watched the small group drive away and out of the corner of her eye she spotted Daryl shouldering his crossbow with a familiar look on his face.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Huntin'. Didn't know I needed permission."
She narrowed her eyes. "You were goin' to sneak off without saying goodbye. You can't do that anymore. Besides, I'm comin' with you."
"No you ain't. No point since Merle lost your bow."
"Don't remind me." She took a step closer to him. "I can still track."
Daryl shifted on his feet and repositioned his crossbow before looking away.
"But you want to be by yourself. I get it." She kept the disappointment out of her voice.
Daryl relaxed as much as he was capable of, looking relieved. "Ya always do."
"Be safe. I don't think I can stand Merle without you." As she watched him walk into the woods she almost changed her mind and started after him. She didn't want to be alone.
It was the first time in camp that both of her brothers were away at the same time. Marianne missed Daryl but she couldn't muster the same feelings for Merle. It was a nice break to not have to worry about his insane plan to steal supplies and sneak away in the dead of night. Thankfully this plan had stalled, but unthankfully it was because he hadn't seen a sober day in weeks. Then there was Dale keeping watch. Marianne wondered if the old man ever slept.
"Marianne?" Her thoughts interrupted, she looked up at Lori who was giving her a reassuring smile. "Would you like to join us?" Lori pointed to the picnic table where Carol was making breakfast for the kids.
"Why?" Marianne narrowed her eyes but Lori didn't back down.
"We thought, with your brothers gone, you might want some company."
Something stirred in her chest. "I know what y'all think about us. About my brothers. I'm not deaf and I'm not stupid. And I don't need your pity." Her raised voice had drawn people's attention. Camp life could be boring so everyone unabashedly listened in, most of them not trying to hide it.
"None of us think you're stupid. I apologize on behalf of everyone if we've offended you. I think we're going to be living with each other for awhile and we just want to be your friend. It'd make things easier for you."
"Who says I want easy?"
"Fair enough, but the offer still stands."
Thoughts raced through Marianne's mind as she struggled to come to a decision, to find a good enough reason to stay away. She couldn't. Lori had made a good point about living together, even if the others annoyed her more often than not.
"Fine." She stood up. "But don't expect me to talk." Lori smiled in triumph and Marianne chose to ignore it so she wouldn't change her mind just to spite the woman.
The day wore on, and despite six people being gone, there wasn't much of a difference in Marianne's day. She still worried about Merle but now with no obligation to immediately intercede because, at the moment, the distance made it physically impossible.
Marianne watched Amy, who was carrying a small red bucket, walk up to the campfire where she and Lori were sitting in companionable silence.
"Any luck?" Lori asked.
"How do we tell if they're poison?" Marianne was surprised Amy had expended time and energy on a task that, for all she knew, was worthless. She didn't know how these people were still alive. Amy dumped the mushrooms into a small metal bowl Lori was holding.
"Uh, there's only one sure way I know of." Lori stared at the mushrooms thoughtfully and picked one out of the bowl, rubbing the dirt off of it with her thumb. Marianne was ready to hit it out of her hand if Lori even contemplated eating it.
"Ask Shane when he gets back?" Amy suggested.
"Yeah, you've got it." Lori rubbed her hand on her jeans and set the bowl on the ground.
"Y'all don't need to ask Shane everything, you know." The two women looked at Marianne. "I'll take a look. The last thing I need is a camp full of people dying from poison mushrooms because a cop said it was okay."
"Thank you." With a gracious smile, Lori handed the bowl of mushrooms to Marianne and then picked up the red bucket Amy had abandoned. "I guess I'll go try my own luck out." She started to walk away, and then paused to look up at the man standing on the RV with a rifle in hand. "Dale, I'm heading out." Marianne watched her turn to look at her son. "Sweetheart, I want you to stay where Dale can see you, okay?"
"Yes, Mom." Marianne heard but couldn't see Carl. For a worried mother living during the apocalypse, she sure did leave other people to watch over him a lot lately.
"You too. Don't wander too far. Stay within shouting distance. And if you see anything, holler. I'll come running." Dale sounded sure of himself, like if anything really did happen he'd be able to make a big difference in the outcome.
"Yes, Mom." Marianne heard Lori say just low enough for Dale not to catch it and smirked at the response. She was getting sick of the men treating all of the women like the children. The last time she checked, they were all adults. Although, Marianne had to admit, the survival instincts and skills of some of these so called adults were questionable at best.
"I have a feeling she won't be coming back with too many berries." Marianne looked into the bowl of mushrooms with distaste. She hated them but would eat them anyways.
"What makes you think that?" Amy looked mildly puzzled.
She shrugged. "Nothin'."
Marianne was mending one of Daryl's raggedy shirts and instead of secluding herself at her and her brothers' tents she decided to take the task into the middle of camp.
Thunder continued to threaten rain and Dale was tinkering with his RV. "Boy, that hose isn't long for his world, is it?" This wasn't the first time he'd said that.
Marianne looked up at the graying sky, wishing there would be a break in the heat instead of the rise in humidity they were getting. It was one thing to go camping and know air conditioning would be waiting when you got home, but another to be camping knowing that electricity was now well-nigh impossible.
"No sir." Jim said, not sounding seriously interested in the predicament. Marianne wondered what he was thinking about right now. He never looked happy, but she guessed she never did either. There wasn't a whole lot to be happy with, except maybe that they weren't walking corpses.
"Where the hell are we going to find a replacement?"
"It's late. They should've been back by now." Amy suddenly said.
"Worrying won't make it better." Dale briefly looked up from his work at the pacing blonde.
"Hello, base camp!" The radio came to life and Marianne stood up, dropping the shirt in mid stitch. T-Dog's voice crackled through, floating down from the RV to everyone in camp. "Can anybody out there hear me?" Shane, Lori, and Carl came running over to the RV while Dale climbed the ladder as fast as he could.
"Base camp, this is T-Dog. Anybody hear me?" Dale picked up the radio.
"Hello? Hello?" He asked urgently. "Reception's bad on this end. Repeat. Repeat."
"Shane, is that you?" T-Dog instantly responded.
"Is that them?" Lori asked unhelpfully. Dale's hand, index finger pointed, jerked up slightly, signaling Lori to be quiet. Marianne climbed up the RV ladder and stood next to Dale to get an even better chance at hearing through the static.
"We're in some deep shit. We're trapped in the department store."
"He say they're trapped?" Shane asked.
"There are geeks all over the place. Hundreds of 'em. We're surrounded."
Dale fiddled with a dial. "T-Dog, repeat that last. Repeat." But Marianne didn't need T-Dog to repeat anything. She knew exactly what she heard and so did the old man. There was only static and the radio silence that wasn't so silent. Marianne sighed, a sick feeling settling in her stomach. An 'I told you so' wasn't looking so good anymore.
Everyone was quiet as the situation sunk in and thunder rumbled alongside the static.
"He said the department store." Lori spoke first.
"I heard it too," Dale said.
"So did I." Marianne looked down at everyone.
"Shane?" Lori asked.
"No way. We do not go after them. We do no risk the rest of the group. Y'all know that." Shane didn't sound thrilled about it. Marianne knew he was waiting for the backlash. Even though she agreed with Shane, it still didn't stop her from wanting to rescue them. If she did attempt anything it wouldn't be until Daryl came back from hunting. She didn't trust anyone else to not make a mess of a rescue effort.
"So we're just gonna leave her there?" Marianne noted how Amy was only concerned with one person. It wasn't like there were five more that were in danger too.
"Look, Amy, I know that this is not easy—"
"She volunteered to go. To help the rest of us."
"I know, and she knew the risks, right?" Shane was being infinitely more patient with Amy than Marianne could be. "See, if she's trapped, she's gone. So we just have to deal with that. There's nothing we can do."
"She's my sister, you son of a bitch." Amy ran off and Marianne couldn't muster up any feelings of sympathy for the girl. She was too soft and Andrea protected her too much.
Before returning to Daryl's shirt Marianne noticed the desperate look Shane gave Lori, his need for reassurance that he did the right thing. She watched Lori give it to him and that's when she knew for sure that they were far more than friends and then she wondered why they were trying so hard to hide it.
The drive back to camp had been quiet so far. Everyone was too exhausted to hold a conversation.
"Best not to dwell on it." Morales broke the silence. "Merle got left behind." Rick glanced over at him.
"Nobody's gonna be sad he didn't come back…except, maybe Daryl."
"Daryl?" Rick asked.
"His brother…And probably Marianne." Morales looked out the window, avoiding Rick's stare.
"Marianne?"
"His sister."
A/N: Reviews would be amazing. I'd really love to get some feedback and know if this is any good at all. I have first drafts of the next few chapters and I'm almost done writing for Season 1 and I think Season 2 will be even better. I hope y'all stick around.