"If Daryl falls in love with you, he's going to love you the rest of his life." - Norman Reedus.
Chapter one - Stripy Tights
Some people make such a big imprint of your life that there is just no way to ever fill it in and forget.
They become a part of who you are, a reason why you are who you are. They might not be blood but they are just part of you in the best way.
The first time I met Daryl Dixon is also my earliest memory. I had just turned five years old and he made fun of my stripy tights. He stood in the doorway of our front room, a bag on his back and his light brown hair pretty much covered his eyes.
"Honey, this is Daryl Dixon." My Mom told me.
"I know who he is, silly." I said.
"Daryl this is our daughter, Tess." He scowled at me. "We call her Tessy, you can too."
"Tessy? That's a stupid name." He said. His accent was funny.
"Momma why does he talk like that?" My head tilted to the side.
"Daryl just has a stronger accent than us. Isn't that right?" My Dad said putting his hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off and just looked around our living room.
Looking back he must have been terrified. And if I hadnt been five I'd have recognised the way his eyes looked up to the ceiling a lot to stop his watery eyes from overflowing. Fourteen years old and brought to a foster family, I'd have been scared too but Daryl wasn't one to let it show.
"Come in Daryl! Sit down." I smiled up at him. He shuffled in and sat down on our couch stiffly.
"We'll go get dinner started okay?" My Dad said before my parents went to the kitchen. As soon as they had left the room I saw a tear fall down Daryls face. I jumped up immediately and plonked myself down next to him, putting my little arm around him.
"Don't worry! I'll look after you." I told him.
"I don't need you to look after me. Don't need no one! I don't need to be here." He said angrily wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Okay." I smiled up at him. "But I'm still going to."
"Shut up." He spat. "You're stupid! Your tights are stupid! It's not even Christmas!" He told me scooting away. I looked down at my legs dangling from the sofa and clicked my little feet together. I was wearing my favourite red and white striped tights. I loved them.
"You're a big meany, Daryl Dixon!" I told him folding my arms and facing away. Being five years old I didn't hold grudges for long. "Wanna see my tree house?" I asked him wide eyed.
He paused for a second then looked at me still scowling. "You got a tree house?"
"Yes! Come see!" I got excited and jumped from the couch, grabbing his hand, he let me lead him out to our back yard. "I'm showing Daryl my tree house!" I shouted to my parents as they watched me pull him along.
My Mom later told me that that was the moment she realised I had Daryl Dixon wrapped around my little finger.
Twenty Years Later...
"Tessy... you need to... me... Merle... highway..." Daryl's voice crackled over the phone. It was slippy in my hands from the blood... their blood.
"Daryl, please I don't know what to do." I sobbed. I was sat in my car in the driveway. "She just went crazy..." I was hyperventilating and could hardly get my words out.
"Damn it!" I heard him curse angrily. "Tessy... calm down for... get to the highway... promise... find you..."
He was telling me to get to the highway, on the way into Atlantic that's where he was. I had to get there. I turned the keys in the ignition with my shaky hand and took one last look at the house I'd lived in all my life.
"I'm coming Daryl!" I shouted as though my voice might reach him better. Just as I put the car into drive a bang from the window on my side made me scream, it was one of those... things... I sped out of the drive trying to avoid the other ones roaming the streets.
"Tess! Tess!" I heard him shouting for me, I knew he'd be worried sick that's just the way he was. The line cut off and fresh sobs came from deep within my stomach, I was alone. He'd gone. I prayed to every god there was that he was safe. I put my foot down determined to get to him, everything would be okay then.
I made it to the highway along with what seemed the rest of the town. Opening the door I stood on the edge of the car and popped my head up to see the highway completely packed with cars. How the hell was I supposed to find him?! I got back in my car and grabbed my phone dialing the number saved as Dx.
The memory of him teasing me about having a kiss next to his name made my chest ache. I'd got all embarrassed and just said it was a shorter version of Dixon and he should shrink his big old head. It wasn't ringing. The phones were gone now too. I shoved it into my pocket and decided I'd have to do this the old fashioned way and look for him myself.
I hadn't brought anything with me. I'd rushed out of the house after the nightmare of seeing my parents that way, my mind only one one thing, getting to Daryl. I started walking up the highway darting inbetween cars stretching to my tiptoes to see ahead looking for Daryls truck.
"Daryl!" I screamed. "Daryl!" Fresh tears came to my eyes with desperation. I had just lost my parents, my world. All I had left was Daryl. "Daryl!" Everybody was out of their cars, milling around like the world wasn't ending. Did nobody realise how serious this was? It had taken me an hour to get to the highway, what if they'd left? No he wouldn't. He promised.
"DARYL!" I shouted making my voice stronger this time. I was ready to break down, I could feel myself beginning to fall apart but I couldn't until I was with him. "DARYL!" After what seemed like forever the voice only voice I had wanted to hear filled my ears.
"TESS!" I heard his deep voice yell from ahead and I sped up, pushing past people now. Leaving behind a series of "Watch it!" And "Hey!"
When I spotted him he was looking around just as desperate as me. Relief flooded my body and I almost melted into a puddle. One last push. "Daryl!" I screamed, every emotion possible was coming now, head on. He spotted me and wasted no time as he ran full pelt to me, our bodies met with a crash.
"Tessy. Tessy..." he whispered. "You're safe now." My head was on his chest and his big hand covered it his other pulling me close.
"Daryl... they... they..." I cried lifting my head to look at him, he held my face in his hands. "They're gone."
"Shh... You're with me now. It's okay." He spoke softly. "I need you to calm down from me okay?" I nodded. "Good girl." He grabbed my hand and I let him lead me. He looked worried, he'd never seen me like this before. Sure he'd seen me upset over stupid stuff and would tell me to "man up" but nothing like how I was now. I was a pretty strong person but my world had literally come crashing down.
When we got to his truck I noticed Merle. Just what I needed, we had never got on. I didn't like the way he treated Daryl and he didn't like the fact that we were basically Daryls second family... I. Now it was just me.
"Well damn sugar tits, you look like hell!" He spoke up the second we were close enough. Usually I'd have some smart ass remark to reply with but I just didn't have it in me. I just stared at him and he must have seen how broken and defeated I was because I could have sworn I saw a flash of concern in his eyes.
The world really was ending.
"Shut the hell up Merle!" Daryl growled. Merle raised his hands, smirking and looked away. Daryl opened the passenger side of his truck and sat me down before crouching in front of me. "Are you hurt?" I shook my head and feeling tears roll down my cheek.
"Don't worry! I'll look after you." He told me. In that moment I had never needed him more.