Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Walking Dead characters... sigh. Reveiws are always welcomed, I would really like to know what people think of this story:) Okay Daryl may seem a little out of character this chapter. It seems that most people like it when Daryl is his true redneck self, but I had this idea and I really wanted to share it! I know he's always gruff and rough but I always imagined that if he had a little sister he'd be really sweet and soft with her when she was scared or sick. He won't be like this all the time because I kind of like the hard personality of Daryl. But I do like that sensitive side of him that gets to be shown every now and than to certain people. Any thoughts on it (dislike or like)? Let me know:)
Daryl wouldn't let me out of his sight the entire night. Once the area was cleared of any stray walkers the adults set up a watch patrol. Daryl, Rick, Glenn and T-Dog wouldn't be keeping watch tonight because they had just gotten back from the city. This was fine by me, I didn't want my only brother left away from me. That and I was still shooken up, not scared though, about what had happened and I kind of didn't want him to leave me unprotected.
Everyone condensed the camp and more people were in their cars instead of the tents that were set up, including Daryl and I. A truck bed to most people probably wouldn't be so comfy, but I had been hunting and camping with my brothers for years so it felt pretty homey and normal to me. The only part that wasn't normal was that Merle wasn't on my other side snoring as loud as he possibly could in my ear.
With the adrenaline and panic wearing off I realized two things. Daryl was never leaving me again and Merle didn't come back with him.
"Daryl?" I asked as I was getting settled in the nest of blankets he had created for me.
He regaurded me with a look and a grunt. I could tell he was exhausted but he was too stuborn and on edge to even close his eyes for a second.
"Why wasn't Merle with you?" My voice quivered for a second and I cleared my throat. I was almost ten, to old for crying, and I felt like I had done enough crying lately for the entire state of Gorgia. Well atleast the for people who were still... people.
I heard Daryl sigh before he answered. "Merle wasn't... wasn't there."
"What!?"
"Shhh, keep it down Nora." He paused for a moment. "He still out there though. If there's one thing I know, he ain't dead. Can't be."
I stared at my brother, "How can you be so sure, did you see him?!" It didn't make sense, if Daryl had seen Merle why didn't he get him to come back.
"Nora, I ain't gonna tell ya again, keep it down." Than his voice softed as did his eyes. "No girl, I didn't see him but we both know Merle is the toughest sumbitch ever right?" I didn't say anything. "Right?" He asked again with a poke to my ribs.
I giggled a little. "Yea."
"Good."
Daryl was sitting up in the back of the truck, his back to the back window and his legs stretched out in front of him. His trusty crossbow was beside him along with the 12 gauge and his Beretta. I guess he wasn't taking an chances tonight. They were to his left as I was to his right. They alwasys kept the guns on the opposite side of them when we camped, they were always smart and careful around and with their guns. I knew not to touch them but Merle and Daryl had made sure that I knew how to clean and reload them safetly if I had to.
I laid down and put my head on his thigh, studying a stain that was in his jeans. The boys had both sent me to do the laundry with the women earlier this week and he already had a stain!Well he could just wash his own jeans from now on.
It's funny how your brain changes from subjects so easily. I had just been through an attack, people had died and Merle was still missing and all I could, or wanted to, focus on was the stain in Daryl's jeans. I sighed.
Daryl's hand came down on my shoulder, "Ya alright Nors?" His voice was qiuet but he still sounded concerned. I nodded and allowed myself to snuggle closer to him.
"Daryl you should get some sleep. I can keep watch for a little." I figured I could stay up for a while. I could keep Daryl safe, I mean he was all I had left, I had to. I wanted to brave like hime and Merle and show that I wasn't just a crybaby, I could help too. But just as I said that a treacherous yawn escaped my lips.
My brother gave a deep low chuckle that shook his body. "Stop worrying about me Darlin', sides you should be asleep right now. Just cause there's dead people walkin' round don't mean that you ain't got a bedtime little missy."
I smiled a little at the pet names and rolled over onto my stomach. I knew that I should be more scared and probably traumatized but Daryl was with me. I knew that nothing could ever happen to me while he was here, he wouldn't let it. I wanted to be brave like that, but it just seemed like it was so hard sometimes. My nerves always got the best of me at the last moment and I always ended up crying.
"Daryl?" I asked.
"Nora." He said back with a bit of warning in his voice.
"I swear just one last question." He grunted and so I continued. "You don't think i'm a wimp for crying right?"
"Jeez Nor, where did that even come from? No I don't think your a wimp, I think you're a nine year old little girl who gets scared when the world goes to shit. That's okay, but remember that I ain't letting anything happen to ya. Ya just gotta follow what I say and trust me. Can you do that?" I nodded. "Alright." He put his hand on my back and started to rub it in big circles, dang it he knew that always got me to go to sleep. I yawned again.
"Dary-" He cut me off.
"I also think that you're a litle girl who better close her pretty blue eyes and go to sleep before I knock ya out myself. Capisce?"
I smiled, nodded and yawned one last time before I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, with Daryl's comforting hand still on my back.
