All right, so, hi~ Here is Chapter One of Heroes and Thieves, my Daryl and OC romance. Thank you to the 3 people who follow this story from the prologue and to the 24 people who at least glimpsed at it. I hope you like this next part and hopefully, I will receive some reviews. Anyway, thanks. :)
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Walking Dead, comic or television series, nor its characters. All I own is my main OC, some other OCs, and some plot points.
Warnings: Daryl and OC romance, swearing, crude humor, sexual content, gore, mentions types of abuse, and alcohol and drug references.
Chapter: One
The sounds that Katherine Sherwood had grown up to, that she would always wake up to and fall asleep to every day of her life resounded in her ears, always being her sense a of security, solace, and serenity, especially these days with the odd stories of the dead coming back to life and assaulting people. Horses neighed softly, exhaling deeply while hired workers and stable hands chatted to one another as they moved about the farm, fussing with the horses in and out of the stable and unloading supplies and so on. Birds chirped and Katherine's golden retriever mix, Cody barked in the distance happily at all the ruckus. All the while, the blonde herself was brushing one of the Thoroughbreds to prepare it for its owner, a young girl, to come for her weekly riding lesson.
"'ey, Kat. Ya in here? Kat?" called out the oh, so familiar voice of Daryl Dixon, gruff, but with a deep tenor tone of sorts.
Blinking, the female stepped away from Shiloh to look over the half-door to see the redneck in his usual form; brown hair clinging to his temple from sweat, holey ripped clothing, and dirt/oil matting his sun-kissed skin. His face was calm, but, as usual, his blue hues were alert. However, there was a hint of unusual franticness in them.
"Heya, Dare-Bear. What's up?" Katherine greeted with a lopsided cheeky grin. It faltered, though when the brunet didn't reply with any of his normal retorts to the childish nickname she had dubbed him with from childhood and became teasing, as they grew older. Instead, Daryl, after warily looking around, opened the stall and yanked Katherine out to drag her into a free one. He was hardly one for most physical contact, let alone initiating. That being, it was only natural that she became immediately concerned; he had her complete undivided attention.
"Ya need ta come wit' me." Daryl all but ordered, voice low as if he was afraid of anyone listening in.
"Wha-What?" she sputtered, taken aback.
" I said 'ya need ta-"
"No, no, I got that part. I meant more like what are ya talkin' about, Daryl? Why do I need to go with you? Where? What's going on?"
"Away from here. Wit' Merle 'nd I ta our huntin' cabin. Its safer there."
Katherine's eyebrows furrowed. "Safer?" she asked, bemused before realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She blanched. "It's gettin' worse…ain't it?" she managed to breathe out, fearful of the answer.
"They been talkin' 'bout evacuatin' da town 'nd hospitals. Take 'em ta Atlanta. 'Nutter attack. At Joey's bar yesterday." Daryl told her, giving a curt nod. He rubbed the back of his neck, a deeper frown than his usual one marring his scruffy face. "Merle 'nd I are leavin'. Soon. Had ta grab ya first."
Katherine didn't have time to dwell on the fact that Daryl wanted her to leave with him so she'd be safe, just her. No, she had to pack. If things were getting worse in town then, it was only a matter of time before the farm was attacked by the Biters. "Gimme ten minutes to pack, tell Papa, and grab Cody?"
"I'll grab Cody. Ya got five minutes."
With a nod, Katherine did not need to be told twice and started to make her way out of the stables only to be stopped by a tall man with sandy blonde hair and eyes matching hers. "Keith," Katherine said, blinking at the sudden sight of him and the displeased—and that was putting it lightly—expression upon his ruddy face.
"Where are ya going, Katherine?" His voice was low and she knew that tone all too well; it never meant anything good for anyone, for her in particular.
"I…uh, Daryl and I…" She could hardly formulate a proper sentence. Her eyes anxiously adverted his; his gaze gave her chills.
"Dixon," Keith addressed the shorter and older male beside his baby sister. "What ya doin' here? Ya don't got a shift today. Why're ya botherin' my sister?"
Daryl narrowed his eyes. "Takin' her outta here 'fore dem Walkers show their ugly asses 'round here, too." he retorted.
Keith scoffed, rolling his green peepers. "Walkers? Is that what they're callin' the 'undead' now?" He snorted. "Of course you'd believe in that horseshit."
"It's true, ya idjit."
"The dead don't come back to life. Only crack-heads like you and your brother would believe that."
Gritting his teeth, Daryl hissed out "bastard" before stepping forward, looking ready to knock the other man out, but Katherine placed a single hand upon his chest to cease his actions. That and the look in her eyes, gentler and more genuine than her sibling's, caused the hunter to—reluctantly—do so, yet continued to glare. She turned back to her brother, taking a deep breath in order to gather enough courage to speak up against him.
"He's right, Keith. People are becomin' reanimated and attackin' people, slaughterin' 'em like cattle. Daryl just told me that people got attacked at Joey's bar."
"And ya actually believe this nutjob, Katherine?"
Again, Katherine had to hold Daryl back as he snapped, "It's true, ya ignant prick!"
"Keith," she started as calmly as possible. "It's happenin' every day. More and more. It's all over the news."
"Seen any of these things yourself?"
"Well, no, but-"
"But nothing, Katherine. It's all just gossip. Bullshit. Smoke and mirrors."
"Keith-"
He ignored her and moved towards Daryl to loom over him. "I don't know what you're tryin' to pull, Dixon, but my sister ain't going anywhere with trailer trash like you."
Naturally, Daryl, despite the height difference, stood his ground, squaring his broad shoulders. "She can do whateva da fuck she wants." he rebuked in a low dangerous voice before softening it, just slight, as he spoke to Katherine, "Le's go, Kat. Merle's waitin'."
Just nodding, though hesitantly, the younger Sherwood began to follow her friend, but not before giving the older sibling one last apprehensive glance. Alas, the two did not get far. They had reached the entry of the stable when Keith called to them, to Katherine, "Are ya honestly gonna leave Papa like this? In his condition?"
That made her instantly stop in her tracks.
"Kat?"
"…I can't go."
"Wha'? Kat, c'mon."
"I can't go, Daryl. Ya havta leave without me," she told him seriously, face firm, but strained. "I can't leave my family."
She couldn't. Family was family. No matter what.
And Daryl Dixon knew all about that. That's why, even though he looked anything but happy about it, he conceded, "Yer makin' a mistake."
Sort of.
"I know."
With that, Daryl left, grumbling curses under his breath.
Katherine had to hold back a frown watching his retreating back, especially when Keith placed a hand on her shoulder. She knew how smug he looked and dreaded how that arrogance could soon possibly get them killed.
"Thought you were dead." Daryl claimed.
"Nope. Alive and kickin'." She paused seeing her hand shaking as she held her gun while her knees wobbled. "More or less. Thought you were at the cabin."
"…Change of plans."
"Clearly."
Slightly, the blonde peered through her matted bangs at the stranger behind her. "Hangin' out with suicide cases instead?" she commented dryly before speaking to aforementioned stranger, "What the Hell ya doing hootin' and hollerin' like a lunatic to a Walker, man? Got a death wish?"
"I had a reason." he admitted calmly, stalking towards she and Daryl. He held himself with great authority, but the man with dark curly locks had this interesting kind of gentleness to his eyes, being a lighter blue than Daryl. The man had this thing to him that Katherine hadn't seen in ages.
Hope.
"Who are you? You know her, Daryl?"
"Girl I knew from my ol' town." As he said that, he kept his crossbow aimed at Katherine. Not that she had lowered her weapon either.
"Katherine Sherwood. Call me Kat."
"Rick Grimes."
"Nice to meetchya. Now, if ya haven't loss your mind thanks to heatstroke, what was your reason then?"
"I was a distraction."
"A distraction? You purposely wanted its attention?"
Yes, because that made him seem saner.
"A lil' girl is missin'." pointed out Daryl.
"A lil' girl is missin'?" Katherine breathed and all of the dots finally connected, causing her stomach to churn. Lowering her gun, she slowly glanced back at the Walker she had just killed. Then, her pale-hued spheres looked between the two men; Daryl had finally lowered his crossbow. "Ya don't think…?"
"That's what we are hoping that isn't the case." Rick replied, solemnly, turning away to kneel to the Walker. He yanked on a pair of work gloves.
Daryl soon joined him, pulling on his own pair, after sparing Katherine a glance. Kneeling beside the other male, he skimmed over the Walker then, furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Rick examining the filthy fingers of the monster's head. "Whatchya doin'?"
"Checking the skin under the fingernails. There's fresh blood around his mouth. Flesh in the teeth."
That sounded anything but promising.
Looking around cautiously, Katherine moved to stand beside them to observe. Rick took out a tiny blade from the back of his trousers. He took a deep breath. "Only one way to figure out what he ate," he muttered.
"Wait a sec," Daryl caused him to stop. "How many kills ya skinned?" Rick promptly fell silent. "'Sides yer blade is dull. Mind?' The hunter jerked his head at Katherine's knife imbedded in the Walker's skull.
"Go for it."
Nodding in thanks, Daryl pulled out the blade and straddled the body. With a grunt, he brought it down to stab the Walker through the top its chest to its abdomen. Three times he did this until he could get better access to the stomach. "Now fer the fun part."
Rick looked like he wasn't awaiting for what came next; he looked disgusted as is. He paled further and had to look away with a grimace as Daryl began to cut open the belly to see what was inside and sort through it, through the blackened glop within. Katherine, on the other hand, was completely impassive, arms crossed beneath her chest, green eyes only occasionally looking around for more undead; in her experience, there were always more than one.
"This doesn't bother you?" Rick inquired with a quirked brow.
"I know him." was her simple answer, motioning her head towards Daryl, as if that was the only explanation needed.
And in all honesty, it was all that was needed. The Sheriff had a great feeling that one had to develop quite the stomach after knowing someone like Daryl Dixon for a bit of time and those two seemed to know each other very well. Not only from their little nicknames for one another, but from their body language as well despite the fact that they had pointed their weapons at each other.
"Looks like da bastard had 'imself a woodchuck." Daryl finally announced.
"But no…?"
"No," Daryl shook his head at Rick's question.
Rick wasn't the only one relieved. Katherine did not know the little girl, but she had a soft spot for kids and they were far too innocent for the ending world, far too innocent and young to have their lives taken so brutally and cruelly by the likes of Walkers.
"So, if ya don't mind me askin', what happened? Why is a kid runnin' about the these woods for?"
"A herd of Walkers along the highway," Rick said, rising to his feet. He rubbed his chin where a dark five o'clock shadow was developing. "Our group tried to hide from them. Saw her and chased her into here. I found her, got the two Walkers away from her, but when I went back to the place where I had left her, she was gone." As he spoke, the woman could see the great regret and remorse in his clear blue eyes; he felt responsible for what happened to this little girl.
"Followed her tracks, but they ran cold." added Daryl, wiping the Walker's blood on his shirt then, handed Katherine back her knife. "Saw no otta tracks followin' neither."
"So she could still be around,"
"It's very possible." Rick said.
"Well, we betta keep lookin' 'cuz," Daryl lifted his gaze to peer through the top of the trees at the lowering sun. "We're wastin' light. Gonna be dark soon."
Rick could only nod in agreement.
"I'll help." Katherine volunteered, having both men turn to her. She defended herself from the incredulous looks, "I've been travellin' through these woods for a while. I ain't got half the skills Daryl's got, but he taught me a thing or two and I got a decent eye."
Neither man said a word. Instead, Rick exchanged a silent look with Daryl, eyes searching his, before Daryl gave a small nod of his head. Rick turned back to Katherine. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Lets go."
No one wasted another minute.
Off deeper into the woods they went, following Daryl's tracking skills, Rick's ambition, and Katherine's minimal familiarity of the woods they scavenged through, calling out for Sophia, not facing anymore Walkers along the way. Nevertheless, it was to no avail. Night was falling and no signs of the child.
"We have to head back." Rick said regrettably, looking to the darkening skies. Daryl appeared just as hesitant, but the statement couldn't be truer. No matter how good his eyesight was, it only took him so far, especially in unfamiliar territory.
With crestfallen expressions, the two men turned on their heels to retrace their steps back to the highway. Katherine watched them go, shoulders slumping, before shaking her head, whispering a farewell, and beginning to gather sticks for a fire. The area was as a good of spot to camp as any; no different than any other night since she found herself alone.
"Wha' da fuck ya think yer doin', Kat?" Daryl's voice called out to her gruffly.
Head snapping up, Katherine blinked with surprise at the sight of the two men standing there staring at her. "Uh…m-makin' camp." she said slowly.
"Are ya stupid? C'mon."
"…Excuse me?"
"Come back to our people with us. We have food, water, and shelter spare. Even a shower. Not much, but we can fit ya in." Rick told her, managing a tiny smile.
"Oh, no, no," Katherine sputtered, shocked, shaking her head. She was touched, greatly, but she couldn't possibly impose. Besides, when they found Sophia, she was going to need all that far more than she. "I couldn't. Thanks, but no thanks. Thanks."
"Don' be an idjit, Kat. Ya can barely stand. Saw yer shakin'. Ya gotta be low on supplies, right? How long ya been out here?" commented Daryl.
She bit her lip. "…A while."
Truthfully, she had loss track of time since the night of the attack. All she knew was that it had been long enough for her supplies to start to run incredibly thin and now, she was probably dehydrated, famished, and exhausted. God only knew if she'd make it to proper shelter before her body gave out. That did not mean that taking needed supplies from others, including Daryl, sat well with Katherine; she had depended on others for far too long.
"Then, get a move on. Yer ass is comin' wit' us. Le's go."
The fair-haired female wanted to protest except the look Daryl gave her left no room for arguments. Besides, the last time she had rejected his offer to go with him, all Hell broke loose in more ways than one. She couldn't decline now. Thus, with a bit of reluctance, Katherine slung her backpack over her shoulders and trudged after Rick and Daryl towards the highway where they and their group was stationed for the time being.