"Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her? Takes to the sky like a bird in flight and who will be her lover?"
A young Daryl Dixon was seated at the lopsided kitchen table. The other night his father had started yelling at his mother and he was sent to his room. Ever since that night the table hadn't been steady and his mother was walking with a significant limp.
The young boy watched with a toothy grin as his mother twirled around the dingy kitchen, her hands high above her head as she sang along to the radio. He couldn't help but let out a small giggle when she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his chair. He laughed loudly, throwing his head back as she gathered him in her arms and spun him around.
He couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. It was one of the rare moments his mother was happy and not drinking herself into a stupor.
"You ever hear the story of Rhiannon, Sweetie?"
The little boy shook his head, smiling widely as his mother swayed them back and forth to the mystical song that was playing.
"It's about a Welsh witch. Some people even believed Rhiannon was a queen. The legend is that when you hear her song you fall asleep and when you wake up all your pain is gone. Every bad thing in your life is gone."
Daryl frowned as the smile on his mother's face disappeared. She had tears in her eyes. She pulled the young boy into her chest, letting him rest his head on her shoulder as she twirled slowly, the motions calming Daryl. He felt like sleeping. He wasn't a stupid kid, he'd seen what his father did to his mother. It scared him. He didn't understand why he would be so mean to someone he was supposed to love.
"You know, Honey, one day you'll find a girl and you'll fall in love. And when you find someone worth loving, you treat her like a queen. You never let anything hurt her."
"Eww, Mama. Girls are gross." The little boy groaned making his mother laugh. She put her son back in his chair and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"One day you'll find your Rhiannon." She told him and turned, going back to making his lunch as she returned to singing along with the radio.
"Dreams unwind, love's a state of mind."
Daryl's body jerked as he was suddenly ripped from his sleep. His heart pounded in his chest and there was a light sheen of sweat coating his trembling body.
That had been one of the first memories he had and one of the only good ones he had of his home life. He remembered his mother always listening to that song, and he could finally understand why. She was always so depressed, being abused day after day by his father. Her solution was drinking until she forgot, except for that song. The song was the only healthy way she'd dealt with her problems.
He clung to that memory, it was the only time he'd felt like a normal kid with an normal caring family.
He took in a shaky breath and rubbed a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was just a crazy coincidence right? The name of the song his mother was always singing, the song she told him would take away his pain, the song that would run through his head after a harsh beating from his dad, just so happened to have the same name as the girl on the farm he couldn't get out of his head.
He didn't know what to think about her, his thoughts were all so new and confusing. No one had ever bothered to confide in him for anything, but last night she had told him about her struggles, about how she spent weeks on her own. It was new for Daryl, having someone to talk to, but he found he actually enjoyed listening to her talk, learning more about her life.
He rolled his eyes at himself. It was ridiculous to think that someone would want him as a friend, let alone anything more. Especially someone like Rhiannon.
She'd been running through his mind all day yesterday after they'd parted ways. He would seek her out every time he saw her father or one of her sisters, hoping to catch a glance at her. He wished to talk to her more, well, really he'd rather just listen to her talk. It was almost frightening to him how easy it was to be around her, to talk to her. That had certainly never happened before. Daryl sometimes found it hard to be around even Merle.
That don't mean nothin', he thought to himself.
It was just attraction, he kept telling himself. She was gorgeous and that's why he kept thinking of her. But Daryl knew he was bullshitting himself. He never in his life was so overwhelmed by someone. He could stare at her all day and never get bored, she was absolutely beautiful.
Daryl scowled and grit his teeth, scolding himself for his own thoughts. Dixon men didn't call girls beautiful and they didn't fawn over girls like a pussy.
She rings like a bell through the night and wouldn't you love to love her?
Daryl audibly groaned as he thought of those lyrics that had haunted him his whole life. "Fuckin' stupid." He mumbled to himself, pulling at the ends of his hair.
He could hear people moving around the camp. Usually he was the first one awake to go hunting but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts he'd lost track of time. He didn't want to think about the time he wasted acting like a teenager with a crush instead of going out to look for Sophia.
He reluctantly got out of his tent, crossbow in hand. He nodded to Rick who waved from where he was looking over the map. Daryl followed and forced himself to focus. He just hoped he could get that damn song out of his head and the girl he pictured with it.
"Shit, shit, shit." Rhiannon hissed as she sprinted down the stairs, pulling down the tank top she'd carelessly thrown on. She'd woken up late. Her mind wouldn't shut up which led her to toss and turn all night.
"Sorry, I overslept." She smiled sheepishly at her father who putting away the breakfast dishes.
"Don't worry about it, baby girl, you haven't missed much. Why don't you go feed the horses." Her father kissed her forehead and led her towards the door. "Did you get enough sleep?" He asked her with a frown on his face. He'd notice how tired his daughter was lately, the dark circles under her eyes that marred her youthful appearance were not lost on him either. \
He knew she had nightmares and it worried him greatly. No father ever wants to see his child suffer like that. Especially now with the way the world is. It made his chest tighten in sadness every time she flinched at a loud noise or stared off into space with fear in her eyes. It terrified him speculating what happened to his baby girl.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She brushed him off, making her way outside. Hershel made sure to follow her, wanting to talk to her more but he knew it would be pointless. He could never force that girl to do anything she didn't want to do.
"If you're going out again today to look for the girl, make sure you come tell me first. I don't need to be worrying about you all day."
She nodded and kissed her father's cheek. "You got it, boss."
She could hear him let out a laugh as she skipped down the porch steps and made her way to the stables. Her heartbeat had gone back to normal as she walked by herself. It had started to beat out of control when she saw the look on her Dad's face. She was afraid he'd hold her back and demand answers she'd never be comfortable to give.
She shook her head as she opened the stable doors and greeted the horses happily, kissing their heads. She had barely seen them over the past couple of years. She didn't have a lot of time to make it home and when she did it was only for a weekend where her sisters demanded her attention. But as a kid she made sure to spend as much time as she could with the horses, sometimes she even fell asleep in the stables.
She began brushing down the mane of one of her favourite horses, Ellie, as she ate. She felt so nostalgic, like she was a kid again, resting on her father's shoulders while she brushed them down because she was too small to reach, even while standing on a stool.
Once she was finished she put down the brush and the empty food bucket. In that same moment, Daryl came around the corner. He stopped in his tracks in the doorway of the stables. He felt his breath choke out of his throat as he saw the object of his thoughts bent over in front of him.
"Uhh, I- what are you doin'?" He stuttered, taking a few steps back away from her as she straightened out and turned to face him.
She smiled at him brightly leaving him breathless. He didn't think anyone had ever looked so happy to see him or had ever smiled so genuinely at him. He cursed to himself, he was going down a dangerous path.
"Hey! I was just feeding the horses. You going out to look for Sophia?" She asked as he brought down a saddle from the hooks on the wall. He just grunted in response which didn't seem to bother her. "I was thinking we could check out that creek where Rick said he left her, maybe with these horses we can cover more ground."
"We?" Daryl scoffed, setting up the furthest horse. He was trying to put as much distance between them as possible.
Rhiannon sighed, her shoulders slumping. "We're really gonna do this again?" She asked in exasperation. He was so hot and cold, she couldn't keep up.
"I told you yesterday, I'm better on my own. You don't know how to track, you'd just slow me down." He barked at her, feeling slightly bad at the dejected look he had put on her face, but he couldn't risk getting close to her. He'd end up looking like an idiot, thinking he stood a chance with her.
Rhiannon didn't feel like arguing with him. They'd had one yesterday but he'd apologized and they actually had a good time together. She didn't want to take five steps backwards so she kept quiet.
She noticed he was having trouble with the saddle, fiddling with the buckles clumsily. He huffed in annoyance making her smirk, she thought it was adorable.
"Here, let me help."
Rhiannon moved beside him, leaning over him to get a better look at what he was doing. His body stiffened at how close she was to him. He swallowed thickly and clenched his jaw. She was making this so much harder.
"Don't need your help, move." He snapped, brushing her hand away from the saddle so he could do it himself.
She bit her lip to keep herself from snapping back at him. She breathed deeply, willing herself to calm down and let it go. It was then she noticed what horse he'd picked. Nervous Nelly was not reliable in the slightest.
"You might wanna take a diff-"
"I said I don't need your help! Just leave me alone." He yelled at her making her flinch back from him.
Deep breaths, be the better person, Rhiannon told herself. She watched him for a few seconds as he finished setting up the horse. She couldn't help but admire the way the muscles in his back flexed under his shirt. For some reason his sexiness just made her even angrier. Screw being the better person.
"What the fuck is with you?" She yelled, startling Daryl. He looked up at her with a glare, he hated that she could give it right back to him, it made him like her more. "Why can't you just let me help you? Are you really so incapable of being friends with someone?"
"Friends? That what we are?" He scoffed at her making her blood boil.
"Well, obviously not." She took one last look at him as he climbed on the horse. I hope Nelly throws him off. The thought made her smile. "Have a nice ride." She said sarcastically.
He looked down at her with confusion, his eyes following her as she stormed out of the stable. He grumbled and pulled the reins, making the horse move.
Friends. The word was like an echo in his head. Of course she just wanted to be friends, of course she didn't look at him the way he looked at her. He was just a redneck asshole. She could do so much better. It was ridiculous for her to even consider them friends, girls like her didn't even look twice at guys like him.
He shook his head, he needed to stop thinking about her. He just wasn't used to getting attention from girls, especially ones that could actually hold a conversation and challenge him. That's the only reason he kept thinking about her.
No matter how much he told himself that, it sounded wrong each time.
Rhiannon was stomping back to the house when she noticed Glenn and Maggie together. She smiled and slyly moved to the side of the porch out of their view. She made sure to step on her toes so she didn't make any noise.
"You know, we still have eleven condoms."
Rhiannon almost choked on her spit. She slapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to burst out laughing.
"You see eleven condoms, I see eleven minutes of my life I'm never gettin' back."
I've taught her so well.
She actually felt bad for the guy as he tried to be suave but got shot down. She watched Maggie walk away and decided to make herself known. She cleared her throat as she stepped around the corner so he could see her.
"Oh, Hey, I-I didn't see you there." Glenn rubbed the back of his neck, feeling himself beginning to sweat.
Rhiannon walked onto the porch so she was standing next to him. He swallowed, moving his weight from side to side. Maggie made him nervous but Rhiannon absolutely terrified him. It probably had something to do with the sword.
"You like her right?"
He nodded, his eyes trained to the spot where she had left from. "Yeah. I mean it wasn't just sex for me."
Rhiannon smiled at him endearingly, he really was adorable. "She likes you too, don't worry." He snapped his head towards her, his eyes wide with excitement.
"How do you know?"
She laughed at his eagerness. "I know my sister. She's just playing hard to get. She likes you back but she doesn't want to seem desperate so she pretends she doesn't and by doing that it makes you want her more so it's a win win. Trust me, I taught her that move."
Glenn laughed in disbelief. "Really? Girls actually do that?"
"Oh yeah. It's how we weed out the bad ones. We need someone who's willing to fight for us." He nodded slowly, looking like he'd just been told the secrets of the universe. "You're a good guy Glenn." Rhiannon smiled, patting him on the shoulder.
"So you approve?"
"Yeah I approve. But if you hurt her I'll skewer your balls with my sword. Got it?"
Glenn blushed deeply and nodded quickly, his eyes wide with fear. "Loud and clear." He practically squeaked.
"See you later." She said happily and walked into the house, leaving a stunned Glenn behind who just swallowed thickly and stood in silence, the fear ebbing slowly.
Rhiannon had a huge smile on her face. That was exactly what she needed after getting yelled at by Daryl.
She started to make her way up the stairs to get her sword. The search for Sophia was still going on and she wasn't going to sit on her ass just because Daryl didn't want her to go with him. Fuck that guy, she sneered in her mind. She couldn't help but smirk at the other connotation of that phrase. She shook her head of her dirty thoughts of those muscular arms wrapped around her. He was an asshole and he definitely wasn't interested, he'd made that perfectly clear. Guys like him didn't go for girls like her. She figured he looked at her like a stuck up, spoiled brat, he'd already said as much.
She wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong, she wanted him to actually know her. The thought made her shiver slightly. In all her life, Rhiannon had never cared what people thought about her, she certainly never cared enough to want to change someone's opinion of her. But Daryl was different. For some reason she actually really cared how he saw her.
Pushing the confusing thoughts from her mind, she grabbed her weapon and started down the stairs. She needed a clear head if she was going out past the fence, she didn't want to get killed because some rude redneck wouldn't leave her thoughts.
Voices were heard in the kitchen making the blonde woman stop in her place. Her immediate worry was that there was someone dangerous, someone she didn't know trying to hurt her family. She heard laughter and her tense shoulders sagged slightly. She peeked her head around the corner and chastised herself when she saw that it was only Lori and Carol.
She hesitated for a moment for before stepping into the kitchen, making herself known. "Hey, how's it going?" She smiled warmly, hoping she sounded more cheerful than anxious. She never used to be so nervous with people before the world ended.
"Hi Rhiannon!" Lori greeted her happily making her furrow her brows lightly. She didn't understand why this woman was so nice to her. Sure she helped her son but Lori didn't know anything about her. "We decided to make dinner tonight as a thank you for everything you and your family has done for us."
"You don't have to do that. Really, it's f-"
"Please, it's the least we can do. Especially after yesterday." Carol chimed in. "I'm sorry, we haven't had a chance to talk yet. I'm Carol...Sophia's mom." She smiled sadly, swallowing thickly to keep her emotions at bay.
Rhiannon just nodded awkwardly knowing nothing she said would aid the grieving mother. "It's nice to meet you." She inwardly cringed at her useless words. "And it's really no trouble at all. Anything I can do to help, just tell me."
Carol smiled at her timidly and looked at Lori who gave her a look as if to say 'see? I told you'. Lori had gushed about Rhiannon ever since she'd helped Carl.
She figured her words had meant more than just helping with dinner. Carol didn't know how to even start repaying her for helping to find Sophia. "Thank you." Carol's voice was a whisper as she fought the tears that had started to build up at the slightest thought of her daughter.
Rhiannon smiled shyly at the woman who looked like she was about to fall apart. She stood awkwardly in the kitchen, watching the two women work. "Do you need help? I'm a pretty terrible cook but I'd like to hope that I couldn't screw up peeling a potato."
Carol chuckled and wiped her hands on her pants. "Actually, would you happen to have a vegetable garden? I think everyone would be happy to have fresh veggies instead of ones from a can."
"Yeah, I'll show you."
Carol followed Rhiannon out the back door to the small garden. "It's not much but it's definitely better than that canned shit."
"This is wonderful."
Carol began to pull the vegetables out of the garden. Rhiannon looked out into the trees in front of her and sighed. She contemplated her decision for a few moments before finally relenting. She took the sword off her back and laid it down in the grass beside her before stepping into the garden with Carol. She couldn't ignore the feeling of guilt at not going out to look for Sophia but she figured she'd be doing just as much good giving Carol someone to talk to, a way to keep her mind off of her missing daughter if only for a few minutes.
The two women worked in silence which Rhiannon was grateful for. She liked that Carol didn't try to fill the silence with meaningless chatter, she didn't bother with questions like 'what did you do before all this?' Even though Rhiannon knew everyone was curious about her.
She knew everyone had seen her going to take watch last night. She was the only one in her family that carried a weapon, and it was a fucking sword. She was sure by now they'd all notice the difference in their accents.
But it seemed like the two had an unspoken agreement. Carol didn't ask her about her life and Rhiannon didn't ask her about Sophia.
Carol stopped working and straightened her back, watching the young woman work. She breathed deeply, trying to find the courage to ask her questions. "What did you find at that cabin?"
Rhiannon was startled at the break in silence. She hadn't expected the woman to ask. "Uhm, we found a blanket hidden in a cupboard and a fresh can of tuna, so she'd been there recently." Carol nodded but her face was still ashen with sadness. "She hid and she was able to find food, you raised a smart girl."
Carol smiled and let out a breathless laugh, wiping a tear that fell. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you've done for my girl."
Rhiannon reached over and grabbed Carol's hand that was trembling slightly. "We'll find her."
"You really think so?" She asked, bitterness seeping into her voice. "I see the way people look at me. They all have the same look on their faces, like I've already lost her, like it's done."
"Just ignore them. They've never had a missing child, they don't have any right to judge."
Carol studied her for a moment, wondering just how the young woman had come to be so bright and insightful. "Well thank you again, for everything." Rhiannon smiled at her and squeezed her hand one last time. "I have to remember to thank Daryl when he gets back. He's done so much for my girl."
Rhiannon couldn't help the small sneer that came on her face at the mention of the man who'd been a huge asshole to her earlier. "Yeah, good luck with that."
Carol laughed lightly. "I guess he isn't the easiest to get along with. He's changing though, I can see it." That certainly had Rhiannon's attention. "Back at our old camp he was belligerent, so disrespectful. He's different here though. He seems quite taken with you." Carol smiled at the young woman who began to blush furiously.
Rhiannon just stuttered and fumbled with her words, not knowing what she could possibly say that wouldn't be too incriminating to what her thoughts were on the redneck.
"Don't act like you haven't seen it. He spent all afternoon with you yesterday, you guys came back to camp talking. Daryl Dixon was actually having a conversation with you."
"So that means he's taken with me?" Rhiannon asked sarcastically, trying to hide the fierce blush on her cheeks. She was sure Carol could see right through her.
"He doesn't do that with just anyone. We've all been trying to get him to talk to us for weeks and within hours he's talking to you like you're old friends."
"He honestly didn't talk that much, he was just asking me about my life."
Carol laughed in amusement. "You think Daryl's ever asked any of us about our lives?"
That shut Rhiannon up quickly. She didn't know what to think of Carol's words. If he really did care enough to talk to her, which apparently is a huge feat, why did he act like such a jerk to her?
She couldn't deny the butterflies in her stomach at the thought that he tries harder with her, that she was different to him than everyone else. She pushed the happiness from her mind, she was supposed to be mad at him.
Carol's smile faltered at the contemplative look on Rhiannon's face. She felt bad for embarrassing her and decided to save her from whatever was going on in her mind. "I'm just thankful his brother isn't around.
Rhiannon scoffed. "We should all be thankful that Merle's not here."
"You know Merle?" Carol asked in shock, a bewildered look on her face.
"Uhh, yeah. I met him once, over a year ago." She winced, cursing her big mouth. She didn't want everyone knowing about her connection to the Dixon's, she figured people would probably talk to Daryl about it and she knew that was the last thing he'd want, ever. But this story was too good to keep quiet. That jerk would just have to suffer the repercussions. "I broke his nose." She blurted out with a satisfied smirk on her face.
The look of shocked delight on Carol's face made her burst out laughing. Soon enough Carol was laughing right along with her. Rhiannon smiled even wider at the sight of the grieving mother letting loose and genuinely laughing.
"I would give all the money in the world to have seen that."
"It was probably the best thing I'd ever done in my whole life." Rhiannon joked.
The two women got back to work picking the vegetables until there was nothing left for them to pick. "Alright, I think we got them all." Carol spoke cheerily, wiping the dirt off her hands. She looked to Rhiannon and gasped, her heart dropping to her stomach.
A gust of wind had come as Rhiannon was bent over sending her loose tank top to ride up to her middle back, leaving her scars in perfect view. But she didn't notice, not until a shaky hand was softly pressed to the forbidden skin.
She stumbled back a couple of steps, nearly falling over. She turned to look at Carol who had tears in her eyes and a tortured expression on her face. Pulling her shirt down with shaking hands, Rhiannon let a choked breath leave her throat as her eyes began to sting with tears.
Carol had seen everything. She saw the small circular burns left by cigarettes and the jagged 'A' that was carved on her lower back. Visions of Ed crossed her mind in a brutal mirage. She winced and put a hand over her mouth that quivered. She guess she should be thankful that her late husband had never left any permanent reminders.
The older woman couldn't imagine anyone ever hurting the sweet girl in front of her. Carol quickly reached for her hand, stopping her when she saw that she was about to bolt.
"You can't," Rhiannon paused, taking a gasping breath as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "You can't tell anyone."
Carol was stunned. "T-they, they don't know? You didn't even tell your sisters?"
Rhiannon shook her head, her hair falling over her face. "If I told them my Dad would be in prison for murder right now."
"A boyfriend did this?" Carol asked timidly. Rhiannon just shuddered in response, her body seeming to fail to be able to remain standing. Carol sank to the ground with her, both of them paying no mind to the dirt beneath them. "Sweetie- Rhiannon, stop." Carol wrapped her arms around her as she once again tried to get up and leave. She could feel the young woman shaking in her arms, her breaths coming out in painful, tearful pants.
"Rhiannon…" Carol took a deep breath, looking for strength. "My husband, he used to...he was-"
"You don't have to tell me." Rhiannon interrupted her. She knew how hard it was to talk about. Hell, Rhiannon had never talked about it so she didn't expect Carol to.
"All I'm saying is...You're not alone." The older woman pushed the strands of hair from her wet cheeks, using her thumb to wipe to tears away. "I understand that you don't want to talk about it but if you ever feeling ready to, I'll be here."
Rhiannon nodded and let out a deep breath, finally allowing herself to calm down. Her sobs had subsided and she was left with soft, silent cries. It was cathartic to finally let herself feel the pain and sadness of what she'd been through. Ever since it had happened she pushed it away, not allowing herself to ever cry about it. It hurt too much to let her emotions go.
"He was so sweet at first." She began, making Carol look at her tentatively, ready to stop her if she got too upset. "You know you hear these stories of women in abusive relationships and I always wondered why they stayed. It took me awhile to realize that I'd become one of those women I said I thought I'd never be. I guess you don't realize until It's happening to you." Rhiannon paused, letting out a shaky breath. She tried desperately to keep herself in check.
"I always thought to myself that I'd never be that girl, that I'd be smart enough not to let anyone hurt me like that. But it's not about not being smart. I knew if I left, if I stood up to him It'd be so much worse." Her voice was a small whisper.
"I thought the same too. I never expected myself to be so weak." Carol spoke wearily, her emotions bubbling over the surface.
"Carol, you're not weak. You're still here. You got out and you're moving on. It takes a strong person to do that."
Carol looked up at her with a small smirk. "So what does that make you? You're still here and you're moving on too."
Rhiannon suddenly looked uncomfortable as she looked up at Carol with an incredulous look on her face.
"What, you don't believe it?"
"We should go back inside." Rhiannon suddenly spoke, taking her hands out of Carol's grasp and standing. She grabbed her sword from the ground and began to walk back to the house. The older woman sighed in defeat and stood, following the hurt woman.
Rhiannon stopped in the doorway, turning as Carol came up the steps. She gave her a slow nod, silently thanking her while simultaneously asking her to remember to keep quiet. Carol nodded back, reassuring her that her secret was safe.
She watched as Carol walked back into the kitchen. She didn't feel like dealing with anyone else right now so she stayed behind. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes, their conversation running through her head. What does that make you? Carol's words made her wince involuntarily. She had never thought of herself as a strong person. The scars she carried with her everyday were reminders that she wasn't strong enough to stop it from happening. They made her feel weak.
"Rhi?" She suddenly turned, seeing Beth walk towards her. "Have you been crying? What's wrong?" Her younger sister rushed to her with a concerned expression.
"I'm fine, just stressed."
Beth looked unconvinced but decided to let it go, knowing she could never force her sister to divulge her secrets. "Ok. I guess I'll see you at dinner." She shrugged, the hurt evident in her voice as she started to walk away.
"Beth, wait." Rhiannon stopped her baby sister and wrapped her into a tight hug. Beth was stunned for a moment before she let out a small, delighted laugh and hugged her back twice as hard.
Rhiannon was torn between telling her not to worry and telling her the hard truth. Talking to Carol had been nice, she actually felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, albeit, a small one, but it was still progress.
Rhiannon's whirlwind of thoughts crashed to a stop at the loud crack of a gunshot.
Sorry for the long wait! I'm really not feeling this chapter, I rewrote it so many times but I'm still not really happy with it. A huge thank you to everyone that's followed and favourited this story! I would love your feedback, tell me if there's something you really wanna see happen or if you have any criticism, I would really appreciate it! By the way, the song mentioned at the beginning is Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac and it is literally my favourite song of all time. The story about that song is true, I think I used a direct quote from the songwriter when explaining it. Coming up is some more Daryl and Rhiannon bonding and some creepy ass Shane.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this chapter! xx