A/N: Hey people, this is my second attempt at a Walking Dead story. My first one left me burnt out because the idea I had for the plot became canon. Quick side note before we get goin'- yes, I have the same (or very similar) OCs in two stories. Whoops. I love this OC, so deal with it :)
From my knowledge, the apocalypse in the show has been going for about two years now, so that's what I'm going with. This will follow along with season five of WD, starting from the second episode "Strangers." Chapters will be short, but hopefully I'll post weekly or more. Here we go!
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.
Leaves crunch beneath my sturdy brown boots and I walk back from my little hunt. I only got three squirrels, but one for each us is okay for tonight. A bow made of twig and string and shooting with a carved arrow definitely isn't my hunting weapon of choice. But what could I do with my big-ass machetes? Sneak up real close and slice it's head off? That ain't a way to hunt for food. That'd be the way to- speak of the devil. I pull my Machete from the sheath I have on the belt 'round my waist and whack the blade across an incoming walker's neck, not even slowing my stride.
I continue my walk through the path in the woods till I come to the creek. There's people! An older, fierce looking woman and a beefy black guy filling canteens. I stay hidden, crouching low in some brush to fill my own bottle as I listen in on what they're saying. It sounds like they were arguin' over something, then the guy insists something about 'the others accepting it.' Then the woman replies, and his face goes hard. I catch her say the name Lizzie and something starting with an M before the guy cuts her off, telling her he wanted to just forget it happened.
I screw my bottle shut and get out of there quickly, storing that information in my head. I keep up a fast stride, wanting to get back to the church quickly. I found myself getting through the doors withing ten minutes. Disregarding the game of chess being (trying to be) played between the priest and my daughter, I waste no time letting Gabriel know the situation
"There's a group out in the west woods."
Gabriel stands at hearing my voice. "People? How far?"
"Close enough to get to the creek, not far enough to notice us," I reply, grabbing the dried-blood towel and use it to wipe my machete clean. I hang the squirrels on a corner of the podium and then bring my attention to Rose, just now lookin' up from her intense stare at the plastic game pieces.
"Hi, Mama." She gets up to hug me, her dark auburn hair reachin' to my waist makin' me lean down to kiss the top of her head.
"Hey baby. I'll play that game with you in a minute but Gabriel and I need to have a little chat," Rose nods and I walk toward Gabriel, leading him down to the front doors of the church.
"So what exactly do you know about these people?" He asks.
"Nothin', 'cept I heard two of the talking by the creek. And older lady and a strong black man were discussing some of their own secrets and whether they would tell the rest of their group or not."
"Well what do you think that says about the group?" Gabriel was always askin' these questions; he couldn't make the kind of calls that were necessary most o'th' time. He's never even killed a damn walker by himself.
I run my hand through my wavy, strawberry auburn hair the land my hand on my hip. "I think these two have only been with this group for a few days, if they be talking 'bout hiding things they've done. I say we keep to ourselves. WHo knows what they could be hidin', and I just think it safer to expect the worst."
"I suppose... But shouldn't we seek them out? What if they need help? Hebrews 13:2, 'Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.'" I roll my eyes and the religious comment- those I haven't got comfortable with.
"People are more damaging than those walkers these days, Gabriel. I ain't going out of my way to help ones who're obviously hidin' hideous things." Gabriel's comments silence as I sit in one of the bleachers, pulling my ankle up to rub at it tentatively. I had surgery on it barely four weeks before the outbreak. "Now I need to take stock of our food and ammo- do you think you could cook up the squirrels on your own?" I ask.
Rose pops out from behind on of the benches, only two rows away from us. "I can help!"
I smirk and shake my head the girl. "Rose Cobain Dixon, you're's stealthy as your father!" She smiled her little crooked smile, bringin' out her dad's qualities in her even more. "Now, you're sure you can help with those squirrels tonight?"
"I can, mama! I remember how Papa did it, and I can show Gabriel. Lemme help," she pleaded. That's my girl- knowing what's best for us if up to me, but this six-year-old piece of dynamite is all about doing her part.
"Alright, baby." I walk with her back to the front of the church and she sits across from me on the other side of the chess game. "Okay, so the pawn can move forward but it can only capture other pieces diagonally..."
X
I wake up from the couple hours of shuteye I got and immediately look up to check is Rose is still lying on the couch. After confirming her presence, I get up and stretch my stiff back. The sky's already high in the sky- how'd I sleep this late? Grabbing my pistol from under my pillow I gently shake Rose away, handing her the small Swiss Army knife my husband used to carry around. I walk into the sanctuary and called out Gabriel's name.
No answer, and I hear the keys in the door; yet Gabriel didn't do the coded knock. But before I could shove Rose back behind a bleacher, people are flooding in the front of the church. I lift my pistol to the bearded man leads a group, and more people follow behind him. First a black woman with a rifle, a short-haired brunette with a rifle as well, an Asian guy with two guns on him and a man with a crossbo-
Daryl. It's fuckin' Daryl, right in front of me.
I lower my gun, and the bearded man tries to approach me, confused. But Daryl shoves past him, his crossbow lowered. He drops it to the ground when his piercing blue eyes meet my forest green ones. My mouth opens in a gasp, and Rose steps forward. It's Daryl that let's out a choked breath when our daughter beats me to him, running forward and jumping into her father's arms.
"Papa," I hear her cry into his shoulder. My body shocks awake again when Daryl lifts his head from Rose's hair and walks toward me. I take into a fast jog, pushing myself into his side as his free arm wraps tightly around my side.
"Daryl," I cry. Tears don't come easily to me, nor him, but I'm suddenly on the verge of sobs when I look up at him, raising my hand to the side of his face. "I thought I lost you."
His mouth breaks from its tight line into a wide smile, lookin' from me to Rose. "I can't believe you're both alive," he breathes. "Look'it you, Cobain! Hell, you're big now," he sighs. He lowers her to the ground, only from her to wipe at her puffy wet eyes. Daryl turns back to me and grabs me so tight, lifting me to his full height, my toes just dangling and barely brushing the floor.
"Daryl," a man says behind us. We both ignore the man and Daryl sets me down.
"Is this your sister or somethin'?" says a woman. But I drown out the people around me and pull my husband's face to mine, kissing him hungrily. God, I almost forgot how wonder his mouth feels against mine.
"Definitely not his sister," I hear another voice say behind us. Needed a breath, he pulls back and finally acknowledges the people around us- his group.
"Daryl, is this your family?" says the bearded man. Daryl, with his arm wrapped around me tightly, walks me forward to the man.
"Rick, meet my wife, Scarlet."
I stretch out my hand to Rick, giving him a warm smile. If Daryl trusts these people, I sure do. Rick looks from Daryl to me, then surprises me by pulling me into a hug.
"It's so great to meet you, Scarlet." Rick pulls away, looking between Daryl and I then back at Rose. "I'm glad you've made it so far, Daryl. Seein' your family again. And a daughter, I assume?"
I scoot back closer to Daryl, wrapping my arm around his waist tightly. I can't let him go ever again. "Yeah, she's our little firecracker. Rose," I tell him.
"Cobain," Daryl argues.
I smile at him and look back at Rick who gives us a questioning look. "We fought about the name forever. Legally it's Rose Cobain Dixon, he's the only one who addresses her by that."
"I love it," Rose says happily, coming next to her father. I smile, seeing Daryl's crooked grin meeting hers. The Asian guy and short brunette approach us next, introducing themselves as Glenn and Maggie. Gabriel comes to join us, and Rick goes outside to tell the rest of their group the place is clear.
I even hear him mention us; "Daryl's family is in there, too. His wife Scarlet and daughter Rose." People rush in at that, some of them gasping and others coming to introduce themselves immediately. From this reaction, I'm sure they all care about my husband. I'm so glad to be back with him after two years of assuming he was dead. Now, we're at peace.
X
I walked to get water with Daryl and Carol, and during so the two caught be up briefly about where they'd been. Obviously the two had a special relationship, and I'm so grateful Daryl had someone close when Merle got killed and through all this. Though they were close, Carol didn't know about Rose and me, which I don't fin surprising. IN times like this, I can tell why Daryl wouldn't be a fan of opening up about his life before. He though we were dead, so why make it painful to tell others about it?
When Daryl tried to ask Carol about what she'd done when she got kicked out of the prison, she'd closed him off and decided what was behind us was in the past. I respected that, but Daryl seemed a little edgy about not knowing what went on without him there.
We came across a car and bike, and checked them out for supplies. The battery of the car seemed dead, but then Carol found an emergency started in the trunk that showed it had a little power left. Daryl was all over this bike- a 1970 HArley Davidson with a carrier sack on the back and enough room for three. In ran like a beaut, but we left it hidden there under it's sheet. We decided if things went bad, Daryl, Rose, Carol and I would be able to take them and make a fresh start.
Once we all met back at the church, the evening fell upon us quickly, everyone in the group chatting and laughing and eating. It's the best night I've had in two damn years. Daryl at my side, holding me close and our daughter smiling all night, hanging around Carl and Judith.
"She's takin' a liking to Judith, ain't she?" Daryl says to me, his scruffy chin nudging my temple.
"Rose? Yeah, she really is." I smile, looking up at my husband and give him a slow kiss. "I really missed you, Daryl. Our girl too; you know what she said to me on her sixth birthday?"
Daryl's brows pulled together and turned his head down to see me at a better angle. "Six? Damn, before this all started you was just talkin' about putting her in preschool," he sighed.
"I know, time does that," I chuckle. "Rose looked up to me, and she asked if you were to come back, could we give her a little brother or sister. That's what she asked for."
Daryl's mouth pulls into a tight little smirk. "If all this were different, better, maybe we could." I shake my head at him, smilin' into the bit of food in my lap. Daryl pushes some strands of sun-kissed hair behind me ear, leanin' down to speak in my ear. "How 'bout we at least practice, fer now." He places an open kiss right blow my ear, sending shivers to my spine.
"God dammit, I want you," I sigh into his shoulder. He takes the can out of my lap, pullin' me closer to him and I slide my leg over his lap. He pulls up from my neck and runs his hands down my sides, feeling the small curves I have left. I can tell he's disappointed, upset maybe, that I've lost so much weight to lack of nutrition. But he then runs his hands through my hair, the curls strung out sand looking more like loose waves.
"You cut your hair," he states, feeling the edges that now land just at my chest. It used to reach my waist.
"It got in the way."
"It's sexy," he smirks, pullin' my face down to kiss him again. Just as I feel his tongue in my mouth, I hear a couple hoots and claps to get our attention- Tyrone.
"What'chu need big guy?" Daryl groans, looking over my shoulder.
Tyrone laughs. "There're kids present! Keep it PG!"
Everyone laughs, looking at the two of us. I laugh along, scooting off Daryl's lap, making him roll his eyes. I open my mouth to reply, but Rose does first.
"There always like this," she says casually. "Uncle Merle used to say they're like horny teenagers, whatever that means."
The group busts up at that too, and that's when Daryl's face goes hard. Shit, I haven't even asked what'd happened to Merle; if they'd stayed together or something. I give Daryl a questioning look and he just shakes his head. Merle's dead- don't need to talk anymore about it, is what his face read. I nodded back and looked to the crowd.
Abraham proposes a toast. He says each and everyone of the group has earned the title of survivor and toasts. "Look around this room- I see survivors. Each and Every one of you has earned that title. To the survivors."
Everyone toasts back, but he continues. "Is that all you want to be?" he asks. "Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forge for food, go to sleep with one eye open, wash and repeat? 'Cause you can do that; got the power, got the skill. The thing is, for you people, all you can do is surrender. But if we get Eugene to Washington he can make the dead die and the living will have this world again and that's not a bad takeaway from a little road trip." He pauses, and it's so silent you ca hear Judith mumbling her baby talk. "Eugene, What's in DC?" he finishes with a question.
"There's infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this FUBAR magnitude. That means food, fuel and refuge. Restart."
Looking at Judith and Rick, Abraham finishes his pitch. "However this plays out, how long it takes for this reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Help us save the world, for the little ones," he nods to Judith then ROse and Carl. "Or for yourselves... Save it for the people out there. WE don't got nothin' left to do 'cept survive."
Judith coos in perfect timing of RIck's response. "I think she knows what I'm about to say," he jokes. I let out a chuckle along with the others as he continues. "She's in. If she's in I'm in. We're in."
We all hoot and holelr, ROse comin' over to us, takin' her place in Daryl's laugh and givin' him a squeeze. We all celebrate, Maggie coming over to offer me a glass of comunion wine, and I take it gratefully. While doing so I see the ring on her left hand.
"That's a beautiful ring," I tell her.
"Thank you. So, you and Daryl? How long you been together? He's never talked about it," she says. "D'you have a ring, too?"
I smile at the curious girl. "A while. We met when I was sixteen, an' he was twenty-two."
"Oooh, older man, huh?" Maggie nudges me. That's the first time I've heard a positive response wen someone finds out our age gap! I'm starting to like this girl.
"Yeah-huh. Anyways, I moved in with him when I was eighteen and we got away. Long story short, we got hitched when I was twenty-two and had Rose just a few years later. She was the best accident we ever had," I laugh.
Maggie laughs, too, and puts her hand on my shoulder. "That's sweet. Never thought Daryl was the marrying type! But you're sure s keeper, so I shouldn't blame him."
I smirk. "And no we ain't got rings. Tats instead," I lift my hand, showing her the tattoo on my ring finger. Small, black italic cursive reads 'Daryl.'
"Aww, that's so sweet!"
"Yeah, we're not the most materialistic people and it wasn't either of our first tattoos."
Maggie's about to say something when Daryl rushes up to me. "What is it, babe?" I ask.
"Carol's gone. Probably took the car we found. I gotta go find her," he says to me so Maggie doesn't hear.
Though I'd really rather him not leave like this, I know it's what he's gotta do. I stand on my toes to kiss him quickly before pushing him toward the door and telling him to go.
Maggie looks to me. "What was that about?"
I cover quick. "Jus' telling me where in the woods to meet him tonight. Ya know, reuniting-night-time-business to do later."
"Of course!" Maggie laughs. "I'll see ya in the morning then, Scarlet. Have a good night!"
"You too, hun."
A/N: Hope you liked it! Will post another soon if you review- they're appreciated :)