Just a heads up, this is my first walking fanfiction. I LOVE the show, and Daryl has always been my favorite character mostly becasue of his humor. I don't know about you but he always cracks me up. Anyways, this story isn't going to be a repeat of all the previous episodes with the same dialogue and stuff, I wanna play around with somethings to keep it interesting. Anyways, yeah! Hope you enjoy! :)
Born to Die
Part I
The camp headed for the CDC. It was decided. The pack traveled in their vehicles in a straight line. Odette and her best friend sat in her (dirty) metallic infinite and followed Dale's RV heading towards the building. It was very silent during the drive. The two of them had always been so close, that sitting and not talking about anything was odd for them, but they were in no mood to talk. They had witnessed too much death for one night, and they tried to keep their kind off of it by keeping to themselves.
Odette was the youngest out of the two, but when it came to reality she was the most experienced. She was an ex marine, and a "compromised" CIA agent. During her days of training for the government she was taught high end medical care, which really came in handy for her and everyone else around.
Beside her was her best friend, Brie. Who up until now was a journalist working for New York Times. The two had been friends since their first day in middle school, and have been inseparable since then. They had each others back, and trusted each other with their lives.
Hours later they finally made it into the city where they found the CDC building. Though many thought that no one was in there, Rick Grimes was determined to prove them wrong.
Ever since she was a young teenager, Odette always thought in the way of a pessimist. But, now more than ever, she hoped, that the Someone in the building would hear their pleas. She knew someone was in their. There always is.
The headquarters of the CIA over in the states in DC had been overrun. Or rather, the agents (that hadn't been laid off) used their places and helicopter to try and make a debt in the situation. And, they did, but many died in the process. Before long headquarters had been taken over by the walkers.
"Please! We're desperate!" Rick shouted over and over again. Odette rolled her eyes.
"Hello! I know that someone's in there! I see the cameras moving, and I know that you're hesitant in letting us come in. See that window over there? I know it's designed to withstand gunshots, rocks, heavy weight you name it! But a bomb, is something that does blow the windows open. No I have one right here!" Odette said as she pulled out a small ticking bomb that Rick was once given "and if you don't open these doors the. Well just have to blow the window up. Imagine the amount of walkers that would end up inside. If you open up and let us in, none of that will have to h-"
The doors opened. Odette laughed slightly in shock, And walked in with the others.
They were greeted by a scientist. Jenner. Who decided to let them stay in the center. He asked that everyone take a blood test to make sure that no one in their group had been infected. Together, they ate their dinner in the kitchen. And for the first time in a long time, Odette wasn't eating Daryl's squirrels.
The table that majority of everyone were sitting at was crowded. Brie, Odette, Daryl ate around the counter while Jenner sat In a chair in the corner of the room.
"You know," Odette began as she ate some of the rice and chicken stir fry, "after eating those squirrels for such a long time, this meal feels like I'm at LA market." She said which made Brie laugh Daryl just rolled his eyes and took a swig of beer.
"You'll be begging for my squirrels one day." Daryl said with a smirk. " I'd like to see you catch so many squirrels in one hunt trip." He added.
" Yeah, but you haven't even tried this, I'm telling you, I didn't think I'd ever get to try rice again."
" Yeah well, all I'm hungry for now Is this." He said gesturing to his bottle.
" Whatever. Brie," Odette turned to her, " remember when we went on that trip to Europe, and we went wine and cheese tasting in Montmartre and Naples? And you were picky with your cheese?" She reminded her. Brie nodded and blushed slightly. "Wait here." Odette said. She left the dining area and limped her way deeper into the kitchen where she found what she needed.
"Look. Try it." She said. She cut a piece off for Brie and one for Daryl just cause he was there.
"It's pretty good. What kind is it?" Brie asked her.
"Brie cheese." Odette said. " I call it forced cannibalism." She joked. Brie took another piece and tried it with her red wine, "It tastes great with the wine." She said.
"I bet it tastes better with beer." Daryl butted in.
After dinner Jenner gave them all a tour of the CDC. He showed them to the bedrooms, the rec room, the lab etc. but, what really excited them all was the fact they had showers available- with hot water. Which always beat bathing in a lake.
Odette managed to get to the showers first joke everyone else were still eating and getting drunk with excitement. She grabbed her extra pair of cloths, her cane and her Vicodin just in case, and headed for the showers.
As soon as she stepped into the shower she felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. The hot water eased up her tense muscles, and the large gash that she on her leg stung a little at first cause of the water. However, the pain lasted a short while. Odette stayed under the water for a while, lathering her body with scented body wash and washed her hair. She hadn't smelt this good in weeks.
Once she was finished, Odette dried herself off with her towel and then wrapped it around herself. The towel was pretty short, it didn't cover up the old gash that she had higher up on her thigh. She didn't mind as much though, people would be too drunk to see it. Odette brushed her wet golden honey locks and then turned around to see Daryl Dixon walking in to take his shower.
Those few seconds were awkward. Odette's towel started to slip off. She pulled it back up which exposed her old gash on her thigh completely. She watched as Daryl eyes traveled down to her thigh where he could see a huge gash like bruise. His stayed and stared a second longer than they should have.
"Er- I just came to take a quick shower. I'll see you later." he said gruffly heading towards the showers that were in the opposite direction. Odette watched as he walked away, then quickly grabbed her cane and cloths, leaving her container of Vicodin behind accidentally.
After Odette changed into a clean pair of dark jeans, and a black and white striped long shirt, she headed towards the Rec room where she found Carol with the kids. Odette greeted them by giving them a small smile.
"Hey guys. Whats new?" Odette said, cringing just slightly. The pain in her leg was getting worse. The Vicodin always helped, but she had no idea how long they would last for, so she would only take one when things got pretty bad. Now, would be one of those times, but, she decided to give it sometime.
"Carol's just keeping us some company." Carl answered. Sophia remained silent. In Odette's mind, she had always been one of those shy and quiet kids, but ever since the death of her father, she had been quieter than usual.
"I think it's time for the two of you to head off to bed." Carol said. She kissed her daughter and Carl and Sofia both left. "I just wanted to thank you." Carol said as soon as they left. Odette furrowed her brows and limped her way to the couch so that she could sit beside Carol.
"I'm sorry. I don't follow." Odette said with her voice full of confusion.
"What you did out there, to get us in. I really appreciate it and I know everyone else is really grateful. Especially Rick." She added in, "None of us really believed in this plan, but you really came through." She said with a smile. Odette nodded and laughed a little.
"Yeah well, in case you haven't noticed, sometimes Rick can bite off more than he can chew. And Shane, is 'brother' is definitely no help." She added. Odette cringed again and then began soothing her thigh with her gash to help with the pain.
"Your leg. It's hurting isn't it?" Odette smiled slightly.
"It always is. I'm just- taking the least amount of drugs I can so that they last longer." She said biting her lip, "I'd take it now but, I can't find my Vicodin anywhere. I take with me everywhere, and now I have no idea where I put it though." she said a little frustrated.
"I'll keep an eye out. I better get going, Sofia still finds this place a little creepy. Good night." Carol said getting up.
"Night."
Odette headed towards the bookshelf. It wasn't that far from the couch, but it was still a slight challenge with the amount of pain in her leg. She started browsing through the many books that it held. Dale, was kind enough to let her read some of the books that he kept in his RV, but Odette had already read a lot of them. The CDC was pretty safe by the looks of it, but even a high security place can only be so safe for so long.
"HUH! There you are!" Brie yelled as she raced into the Rec Room, " You will not believe the amount of alcohol that they have here! I'd thought I'd never be able to get another drink again." She said quickly. Odette laughed and shook her head.
"How much have you drunk?" She asked. Brie shrugged.
"I don't know. But I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up with a hangover." Odette rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, well, I hope you have the advil for your headache in the morning." Odette muttered. Brie scoffed.
"Whatever. You should let loose for once!" Brie explained taking Odette's hands into hers, "Look, this place is the first time in weeks, where we have good food, a place to sleep, showers! We don't have to sleep with one eye open anymore." Brie pursed her lips. "I love you like a sister. We always have, With our families out of reach," Brie stopped getting a grip on herself, "gone for all we know. We have each other
Odette nodded and pursed her lips,
"Yeah okay." She said softly, Brie smiled.
"I'll see you later okay? Its my turn to go and hog the showers for the nest three hours!" She said with a giggle. She kissed Odette's cheek before running off to the showers.
Odette sighed before taking her book back to the couch and started reading. Well, tried anyways. The book itself was quiet boring. The last she wanted to read about were the laws of physics that were applied into everyday lives. A few minutes of just scanning her eyes across the pages she heard the sound of heavy footsteps in the halls, and they stopped just outside the door of the Rec Room.
"You uh. Left this in the shower room." Odette turned her head to see Daryl standing by the doorway. "There's still a lot left, and I don't think that Rick or Lori would appreciate seeing it around their 'angel' of a kid." He said sarcastically. Odette smiled and pushed her curly golden layered locks out of her face.
"Thanks Daryl." she said. She stared at him, all nice and clean. His hair was nice and clean, not full of the grease and oil, his face and toned arms were dirt and grime free, and he wore clean cloths.
Damn, she thought to herself, He cleans up good.
"Heh. You enjoying that book there? Catching up on your university years?" Daryl joked taking a swing out of another beer bottle.
"No. Just needed something to pass the time."
"Why not drink? Liquor here ain't that bad." He said. Odette frowned and shook her head.
"Nah. I'm already addicted to my pain killers. The last thing anyone needs is me drinking." She cringed and grabbed a hold of her thigh with her hand over her jeans. "You mind throwing me the bottle?" She asked her voice becoming horse.
Daryl threw the capsule to her and she caught it, taking off the cap, and swallowing two of them. She sighed and closed her eyes, and waited for the pills to work their magic.
"Thanks."
"No problem. I'm off to get shit face drunk, again."
It was late when Odette heard Brie enter into their room. She didn't sleep, she waited for her to come back first.
"Hey O," Brie said using her nickname, "It's okay, I'm fine. You should go to sleep." She said as she crawled into the cot beside Odette.
"I just can't fall asleep." Odette said turning on he side so that she could face Brie.
"Is it your leg?"
"Naw," Odette replied shaking her head, "it's better now. I took some Vicodin." Brie raised a brow.
"I thought you were trying to detox." Odette furrier her brow.l
"Why would you think that? I was taking as less of them as I could so i could save them for longer. If things got too bad, if cave." She answered.
"So. It's been a month since we've been with Dale and Glenn and everyone. How many times have you caved in?" She asked.
"Twice." Odette replied.
"Only twice?" She pressed on.
"Yeah. The first week I caved in, and then today when things got kinda bad. I will not detox. Yet anyways." She muttered.
"You are hopeless." Brie said laughing.
"Not as hopeless as you."
The following day Odette and Brie woke up late. They had spent most of the night just talking and hanging out like they would usually do on their phones late at night. While they were out f the campsite, they alway kept quiet in their hares tent, the sound of their voice could attract some walkers. Now, not only could they sleep without shifts, and with their eyes both closed, but they could mess around all they wanted in the privacy of their rooms without disturbing others and attracting the walkers.
After washing their face an brushing their hair and teeth the two of them headed down to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. While Odette's leg didn't hurt as much, Brie had a massive hangover.
"I am never drinking again." Brie would mutter every now and then.
"I told you you'd regret it in the morning." Odette said with a smirk.
"Shut up!" Brie snapped.
"Wow. Someone's touchy." Odette muttered. "You want anything to eat?" She asked. Brie shook her head.
"No. But I wouldn't mind having something for my headache." She groaned.
"Here, jut have some of this." Odette pushed a plate of bacon to Brie. "The grease will help with the hangover." She said as she chomped on a piece.
"Hey guys!" The two of them turned to see Glenn who was standing at the doorway of the kitchen, "Come on! Jenner'd about to show us something." Glenn said. "Just bring the bacon." He added.
When Odette and Brie entered the lab, the first thing they noticed was the diagram of a brain on the screen. Odette and Brie stood by Daryl who was near the back as listened to both Jenner and finished their bacon.
"What's he talking about?" Brie asked. Odette rolled her eyes.
"You know you should be listening. It's good to know. He talking about the transformation that happens to the brain when someone gets bit or scratched." She explained. In the meantime Daryl managed to sneak a few prices of bacon off of Odette's plate.
"Do you want the rest? I'm full anyways." She offered, "Brie'll probably throw up if she eat any more." She added.
"Don't mind if I do." He mumbled as he took the plate from Odette.
It wasn't long before everything went wrong. All of the entrances Locked, the alarms and light went off, and everything was under a lock down. Not only was this a shock to everyone (they thought they would be safe for at least a while) but no one wanted to w stuck here forever.
"Please! Open the doors!" Rick shouted over and over. Odette had no idea what she could do. Fear had take. Over her body many times, but never like this.
"I can't do that! Only the computers can open the doors." Jenner replied.
"What are you doing?" Odette shouted. Beside he Brie was on the verge of a breakdown. Shane and Daryl were trying to get through the doors, to even make a dent, but that was no use.
"You'll all die very quickly." Jenner Said. "I'm saving your lives, wouldn't you rather die like this than getting chewed on?" He yelled. Slowly, Brie got a good of herself.
"Brie! Come on we have to find a way out of here." Brie looked up at Odette through her brunette front bangs and shop her head.
"I'm not going." She managed to choke out. Odette's eyes widened and she began to year up/ she let go of her cane and dropped to the floor and took hold of Brie's arms.
"N-no! Come on! You h-ave to come! You're all I have left! I'm not loosing you!" She joked out.
"Come on! I'm opting out. We all die anyways. We've already lost our families. Our parents are gone, our siblings.-" Brie sobbed some more, "an I lost Jeff! And you lost Elliot." She cried.
"Come on! We can get out of here!" Jenner finally opened the doors and soon people began to leave.
"Odette. Please! Just go! Promise me that you'll stay alive!" Brie cried, "you have a shot at making it. You have survival experience. I just hold everyone back." Odette's cheeks were now stained with tears.
"Fine. Then I'm staying too." She said.
"No! You are going! You have to! For me, for Elliot!" Brie's hand reached up to her neck and she unclasped the single diamond necklace around
"Here, take this and go. You don't have much time." Brie Said handing the necklace to Odette. "Go!" She yelled. Set pursed her lips and kissed Brie's cheek,
"I love you." Odette cried.
"I love you too. Now go!" Brie yelled. Suddenly, Odette felt two arms wrap around her waist and pull her up.
"C'mon. We gotta get out of here." It was Daryl, "We don't have much time." He added.
"Go!" Brie said softly putting on a small smile, "Get out of here!"
Odette grabbed her cane and ran (as well as she could with a cripple leg anyways). She turned her head to see Brie and Jacqui and Jenner stay behind, watching Dale trying to talk some sense into Andrea. She saw Brie give her another smile before Daryl pulled her away.
"C'mon! We don't have much time." Odette began to sniff from crying too much. "Carol grabbed everything she could, people's bag and shit." He muttered.
"Fuck!" Odette heard Daryl yell as they finally reached the top where a large window blocked their chance of getting out.
He ran towards it an started banging on it with an Ax while Rick and Shane helped as well. Odette didn't see a point in it. The window wouldn't break, unless...
"Move." Odette manages to say. She ran to the window without her cane, and pulled out the small ticking bomb from her bag (the one that Carol held) she enabled it, an attached it to the pane of the window, then ran back as fast as she could. The bomb detonated, which shattered the glass on the window allowing everyone to finally leave the CDC before it self destructed.
Odette headed towards her car. Odette placed her cane in the passenger seat, were Brie would sot with her. She took out 2 Vicodin and ate it just for the sake of it. her leg didn't hurt as much as the fact of her knowing that the one person she had left in this world was gone. She took her set of keys out from the dashboard and started her engine. She stopped to take a look at the CDC, the closer she looked, she saw Dale and Andrea coming out of their. Then she saw the flames following them close behind. Odette ducked as the CDC self destructed.
Odette looked at the necklace Brie handed to her in the Palm of her hand. It was a necklace that Odette had given to her as a wedding present when Brie married Jeff. Tears fell from Odette's eyes as she clasped the necklace around her neck. Just as they were about to leave, Daryl headed to Odette's car.
"Ya know I think it would be safer if you don't drive. Get in a car with someone else." Daryl said. Odette wiped her years off from her Cheeks and shook her head.
"I'll be fine. I'd rather be alone now anyways." She said solemnly.
"Alright. But I'm gonna be following you to make sure you don't kill yourself." He said waking off.
Odette watched Daryl get onto his motorcycle. I anyone knew what she was going through it would be him, it would be Carol, T-Dog, Andrea.
They started moving. As they hit the road Odette took a deep breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Now that she had lost everyone she cared about. Her Mum, Dad, brother and sister, her husband (though he had died previously before the attack hit) and now her best friend.
Who did she have left?
A/N: So yeah there's the first chapter, sorry it its a little long, but idk... it just is. i know this character seems to be a little vague, but i intend to round her off as the story progresses. Um, yeah. I hope you liked it! I appreciate you taking the time out to read this story, hopefully you weren't and will not be disappointed. feel free to express your opinion, i surprisingly can take criticism pretty well, i learn a lot from it. so yeah, idk im just kinda ranting on now. I hope this wasn't a huge let down. Thanks! :)
