Summary: Five years since the walker outbreak occurred in 2010, Debbie Abrams is taking one day at a time, when the unthinkable happens. Daryl Dixon is trying to keep the group together, despite the growing distance between him, Rick and Michonne over keeping Negan alive. He finds himself escorting a young woman across the USA, after surviving being bit. Co-Written with WalkingPotterGirl14.
Endure and Survive
Chapter 10
Debbie smiles at his embarrassment, but she found it sweet that Daryl cared so much about the kids in his group. She sat next to him in a comfortable silence and looked at the engagement ring on the chain around her neck.
Could she let go of Jason, her first love? Deep down, she knew that Jason would never want her to unhappy. He'd want her to be happy and have someone. It was something to think about, and she appreciated Daryl's advice.
"I love kids. When I was a teenager I used to babysit them, and I used to watch over the younger kids in the trailer park. That's why I became a kindergarten teacher. I loved my students. That's why I found it so hard seeing those kids," she explained quietly. Daryl nodded in understanding.
He understood it all too well. He could still see Sophia coming out of the barn and sighed quietly. He loved Judith in a lot of ways. He saw her as the daughter he might not ever have.
"I get it. Kids back at home, Henry, Gracie and Judith are good kids, along with Rachel. She's a tough kid," he said finally. He stroked Shadow's fur gently as he and Debbie sat in a comfortable silence.
"Zoe had an older twin sister, you know?" She said finally, opening up to him. He looked at her in surprise. She nodded sadly and lit up another cigarette. Eve would be pissed that she was smoking so much, but honestly, she needed a smoke for when she talked about this.
"What happened to her?" Daryl asked quietly. Eve hadn't mentioned anything to any of them about Zoe having an older twin sister. He wondered if Zoe had told Ellie the truth.
Debbie sighed quietly. She hated remembering that awful day when the Saviors led by fucking Negan and Simon had murdered Susan, after Lucas hadn't protected Susan and Zoe.
"We were in the road after finishing a smuggling job to this safe zone called the Kingdom with a guy called Richard. Lucas was supposed to be watching Susan and Zoe, when we got ambushed by the Saviors and got dragged out of our car. Negan threatened us, and Simon poured petrol fuel over me, telling Lucas that if he didn't give him half of our guns then he'd burn me alive. Lucas refused, so they made us watch as Negan bashed in Susan's head with that fucking barbed baseball bat of his. Kept on doing it, and told us to stay away," Debbie said bitterly, remembering Negan's crude jokes about Susan.
Her precious niece hadn't deserved to die like that. It had changed all of them that night. She wiped her eyes and looked at Daryl quietly.
"I'm sorry, Debbie," he said quietly, but she could hear the empathy in his voice. She nodded in thanks. It was starting to get cold. They quietly headed back inside.
She watched as he checked on the others, and she smiled at seeing how Ellie, Sam and Zoe were curled on the three worn, moth eaten blue velvet couches. She pressed a kiss to Zoe's hair, and went to check on the others and they were all crashed out. She looked at Daryl, as it started raining heavily outside.
Daryl offered her a bowl of tomato soup and she accepted it gratefully, as they both ate in a comfortable silence with Shadow and Selene eating their dog food.
She felt comfortable around Daryl. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she didn't have to keep her guard up around him or his group.
The early rays of dawn shone through the curtains. Daryl woke up to see Debbie was still asleep with a blanket thrown over her that he'd put over her.
At first, he'd assumed she was a cold, distant woman, but after what she had told him, and how he'd seen her react to the child walkers in the sewers, he'd changed his mind. She was hurting, bitter and afraid of getting close to anyone after seeing her fiancé die in front of her, after he'd died protecting her.
It was something he understood. He'd never loved anyone romantically, but he'd loved Merle. He'd been an asshole, but he'd died trying to protect them.
Daryl wondered what Merle would think of Rick keeping Negan alive, and trying to make the Saviors work together with the communities. Merle would either crack up laughing, or call Rick a dumbass for trying to make them all work together.
"What time is it?" Debbie asked quietly. She was rubbing her face tiredly and sighed quietly. Daryl frowned, and glanced outside. He could hear the birds chirping.
"Early mornin', better make a move on soon," Daryl said quietly. The others woke up and started talking while Debbie made porridge for all of them.
"So, me and Sam are gonna take a truck, take the dogs with us and head to the Hilltop. Do you know where it us?" Henry asked wearily. He wanted Sam to be safe and not constantly living in fear.
Daryl nodded. Joel got a map that he drew directions on and gave it to Henry, who thanked them as they heard growls outside the radio tower. Daryl cautiously went outside and saw a huge herd of walkers was heading towards them. There had to be at least ninety-one walkers, all stumbling in their direction.
"We gotta go now people!" He called out quickly. They all quickly left and hurried to get their backpacks before hurrying out through the back entrance.
They managed to find two trucks that still had working engines. Daryl and Debbie got into one with Shadow, Ethan and Beth. The others got into the red truck, and they started driving away from the herd.
"Where the hell did they come from?" Ethan asked stunned. He'd seen herds of walkers before hit, but this was something else. They all looked they were migrating somewhere.
"Probably from the south, or abandoned towns and cities that are now empty of people and animals," Daryl said grimly, as he followed Joel in the truck in front of them.
After an hour, they pulled up and said goodbye to Henry and Sam who both thanked them for helping them escape Pittsburgh. Daryl hoped they got to Hilltop safely. Hell, maybe they'd settle at Oceanside.
Would be good for Cyndie. Henry was the same age as her and he knew there was a lot of anger between the three communities and the Saviors.
"So, where are we heading to next?" Beth asked curiously. They all looked over the map. Daryl knew Georgie had mentioned a college.
"Georgie mentioned a college, maybe that's where we gotta go next?" Debbie suggested quietly and looked around quietly. Maybe they could stock up on supplies, and hunt.
Daryl looks around. "We could just stay here for a bit." Joel raises an eyebrow. "Not long, just for a day to figure out what route we're taking to get there. Find some food. Know tomato soup is good but we gotta get some meat."
Joel nods. "Yeah, there are a lot of deer in this area."
"I could hunt." Debbie steps forward. "If I come across a walker at least we know it can't hurt me," she jokes.
Eve rolls her eyes. "Har, har. But I'm not letting you go alone."
"I'll go with her," Daryl states, nodding at his brother. "Just get some sort of setup in the car and if the herd comes through just move. We'll head out and find a deer or somethin'." He looks over at Debbie. "Ya know how to hunt?"
"Doesn't everyone now?"
He scoffs and shakes his head, before heading off into the woods. She could almost hear him mumble "I wish," under his breath. She chuckles and nods at her sister before following after him.
Tensions were running high and Tommy really wanted grab Rick, and shake him by the shoulders to knock sense into him. The Sanctuary wasn't going to work with them. A lot of them were loyal to Negan or just simply wanted to run it by themselves.
He could see how this was gonna go. A fight was gonna happen and someone was either going to get hurt or killed. What he wouldn't do right now to have advice from Joel and Daryl, or hell, Beth and Ellie.
This was going to end badly.
Daryl followed the deer tracks carefully. Debbie walking silently next to him as they saw a herd of deer grazing the grass. Daryl saw antlers on the grass, from where bucks had rutted against each other, as it was clearly this time of year.
"Careful, can't get too close to them seeing as it's rutting season. They'll gore you if you ain't careful," Daryl whispered quietly. Debbie nodded in understanding as she watched Daryl aim his crossbow at a buck, and it hit the animal in the neck, killing it quickly.
Daryl grabbed the deer and made sure it wasn't contaminated. Debbie saw the antlers all over the floor. She noticed the sun was shining through the heavy, grey clouds and went to help Daryl.
"Well at least there's one good thing about the outbreak. Nature is making things right by animals reclaiming the land," she said wryly, remembering her Nan's words about nature knowing best.
Daryl snorted at her words. Reclaiming was an understatement as it had been five years since the outbreak. Canned food was starting to turn bad, not to mention fuel.
They carried the deer carefully to where the others were sitting by a picnic table they'd found. Daryl pulled out his knife, as he, Joel, Beth and Debbie started gutting it. After finishing that task, Ellie and Zoe came back from their search around the heavily forested area and had found a few tents they could sleep in for tonight, as not all of them could sleep in the car.
Debbie chose to sleep in the tent, insisting that Eve, Zoe, and Beth take the truck but Beth insisted to share a tent with Debbie. Daryl knew that despite her efforts, Debbie was warming up to his brother, Joel and Ellie.
He wondered what Maggie, Rick, Michonne, Enid, Aaron, Carol, Ezekiel, Henry, Judith and Gracie would think of her. He could imagine Rick's imagination, when he found out she and her family joined a group that tricked, killed and robbed people.
Not that he was judging her. Grief made you do things that you wouldn't normally do. He knew that from experience. He sighed quietly.
Beth got out the containers as Cain and Ethan got a fire going. They sat around it, as they put the pieces of deer meat on sticks to slowly roast. He glanced over at where Debbie was. She was sharpening her knife with a rock, while talking to Beth.
"So, Daryl told me that you and your family lived on farm. What was it like?" Debbie asked curiously, thinking of her grandmother's farm, and the horses.
If she could, she'd happily go back there and take the horses with her to the Commonwealth, or maybe one of the communities. She'd always loved horses since she was little and had learnt to ride one before she could walk.
"Peaceful, even if it was only for a while you know. My dad thought the walkers were sick, so he put them, my mom and brother in the barn and thought there would be a cure. When Rick's best friend, Shane shot one, that broke my father's illusion, and mine too. I'd give anything to find Nelly, Willow and Polyxena, they were part of the family too," Beth said sadly, and Debbie felt for her.
"You never know, you might find them again or they might find you in the most unexpected place," Debbie offered quietly, trying to cheer her up. Beth smiled at her words.
"Did you go camping a lot? With your siblings?" She asked finally. Debbie smiled sadly and nodded. She thought of how when they were kids, Cain and Ethan would take her and Eve camping.
"Yeah, and then I went camping and hiking with my fiancé Jason, he loved the outdoors," she said fondly, thinking of her late fiancé.
Beth smiled at hearing the fondness in Debbie's voice as she spoke of her life before the dead had risen. It was nice to see her smile.
"Me, my brother Shawn and my sister Maggie use to camp out in the fields on our farm. I miss the days when everything was simple. You didn't have to worry about people killing you or stealing your supplies," Beth said quietly. Debbie nodded in silent agreement at her words.
The world had changed, and they had to change too if they wanted to have any hope of surviving. It was what people had to do these days.
It started raining heavily during the night. Eve could hear thunder clapping in the distance. The noise would rile up the walkers, but hopefully they were far away for the moment and wouldn't run into them.
Sighing, she sat up and watched as the raindrops hit the windshield heavily and thought of the house that she had lived in with Lucas, Susan and Zoe.
She missed that house. Granted they had struggled with the mortgage, but the house had been worth it. She'd give anything to know if it was still standing.
"Ya alright?" Joel asked quietly. She nodded quietly and ran a hand over her face tiredly. She didn't feel tired, and saw that Ellie and Zoe were fast asleep.
"Yeah, just wondering where we gotta head to next, you know? I know Georgie told us that this Dr. Marlene Foster worked at a hospital in Salt Lake City but how do we get there," she said frustrated, and thought of Debbie.
Her and Debbie had been estranged for a time, after being on the road for two years. Things had reached boiling point, when Susan had been killed.
"I don't ever wanna see your goddamn face here, again!" she'd screamed at Debbie. It haunted her what she had said. How she'd wrongly blamed Debbie for Susan being killed.
They had made up after a time of being distance from each other. Both of them had come to the conclusion that it was better being close together than it was being apart. Eve had never been happier.
Now it was Debbie's whole life at stake. She needed to get to this place.
Joel nods. "Well, I heard from the others this college got something. That's probably closer than Salt Lake City so we should check that out first." He looks over at the sun that was slowly rising in the east. "We're probably in Ohio by now."
She snorts. "Fucking Ohio." Joel raises an eyebrow.
"Got a problem against Ohio?" He chuckles.
Eve chuckles and shakes her head. "No. I just used to go to Penn State for my nursing degree and we had a huge rivalry against OSU." She sighs and shakes her head. "Man, the things I would do to go back to those days. Just to throw a football around and feel at peace." She shakes her head again. "I never thought those times would be just a dream."
Joel looks over at her before nodding his head. "Yeah. I understand."
She bites her lip and nods, the two of them sitting in a silent comfort.
The next morning, Daryl woke up first to check out the perimeter. He saw that Joel and Eve had passed out after a bit, so he was the first person awake.
He glances over at the group and saw Debbie sleeping quietly. It was strange to see her sleeping in so late. Usually she was the first person up like him. But it was nice to see her just relax.
He walks towards the car and then heads a sudden stuttering on the radio. Then, a voice.
"Daryl, are you there?"
He recognized that voice. It was Carol. He quickly grabbed the radio so he could answer it. He was praying that nothing was going wrong with the communities, or the Sanctuary.
"Carol, are ya alright?" He asked wearily, genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. He heard her sigh quietly. Something was going on. It was bothering Carol.
"I'm fine, it's just that more of the Saviors haven't turned up to fix the bridge. They aren't at the Sanctuary either. I'm guessing they left, but tensions are rising, Daryl," Carol explained grimly. Daryl cursed under his breath.
"What does Rick and Michonne think about the situation?" He asked grimly. Rick was clinging onto the hope that everything would work out with the militia and thinking they could all work together.
"They think the Saviors just left, but the remaining Saviors want guns but Maggie, Jesus, me, Cyndie and Ezekiel put our foot down on that matter," she said tiredly. Daryl sighed.
This wasn't gonna work. Rick's hope for a better future was a train wreck waiting to happen. Daryl knew that Rick was grieving for Carl, but this thing with the Saviors wasn't going to work.
It just wouldn't work.
"Anyway, enough talk about the Saviors. How's your trip with Beth, Joel, Ellie and the Abrams family going?" She asked curiously, genuinely wanting to know how Daryl and the others were doing.
"Goin' alright. Had an encounter with a group of men that tried to kill us, but we got away. We sent two kids to the Hilltop, they're good, and the youngest is only thirteen," Daryl explained finally, glad to know that Carol was alright.
"Do you think that Debbie's blood can be used to create a vaccine, Daryl?" Carol asked wearily. She sounded weary and distrustful at the thought of there being a cure.
"Dunno. We'll find out once we get to Salt Lake City. Look after yerself Carol, tell Maggie, Hershel, Gracie, Aaron, Henry, Judith and Hershel that we love em," Daryl said quietly. Carol said goodbye to him.
"Take care Daryl, and keep in touch," she said softly. She left as Daryl looked at the radio, before seeing Debbie come over with two plates that had deer meat on them.
"Everything alright?" She asked quietly. Daryl nodded. Debbie looked lost in thought as they ate their breakfast.
After everyone had finished eating, they packed up the tents and began driving on the back roads, hoping to find shelter to rest for a couple of nights. After driving for two hours, they came across an abandoned house that had seen better days. Daryl, Debbie, Cain and Beth checked it out, and saw the family had committed suicide.
'MAY GOD FORGIVE US!' had been written on the wall in blood. The bodies were skeletal. They'd been here for a while. She guessed the family hadn't been able to cope with what was going on, so they opted out.
"Lets search for supplies. Looks like no one's been here before us, so maybe we'll get lucky," Cain said finally, running a hand through his dark blondish, brown hair.
Everyone nodded and started looking around. Debbie headed upstairs to see what they could find, and Beth went with her. Daryl decided to check the garage with Joel and Cain, while Ethan searched the basement with Eve.
The rooms were virtually untouched. There was a coating of dust everywhere. Debbie saw a fourth generation Apple IPad lying on the computer desk next to a black laptop.
"I had a laptop like this. Used to listen to music and go on YouTube, and watch funny cat videos or Halloween Cake Wars. Hell, what I wouldn't give to just dance again or bake a cake. Or ride a horse or cuddle a cat or dog...God..." she said wistfully, a hint of melancholy in her voice.
Beth looked at her quietly, knowing that deep down despite everything she had done, Debbie was a good person. She was just lost and bitter over everything.
"What kind of dance did you do?" She asked curiously, trying to cheer Debbie up. The older blonde haired woman smiled as she remembered.
"All kinds," she says quietly. "I used to dance to everything. It was a form of a stress relief I had." She sighs. "Just wish I could do more."
Beth looks at her softly. "Well, maybe one day you will."
Debbie snorts. "Alright, Beth. I'll hold onto that hope."
Daryl searches through some boxes as he looks around, before glancing back at Ethan. "Find anything?"
"Nothing, just a whole load of empty fuel tanks that are useless, but I found some maps," Ethan said dismayed, and kept on searching through the boxes.
Daryl found some hardware tools that he put in the back of the truck, and a toolbox that looked untouched. He put it in the truck and kept on looking around.
Aside from the toolbox, and a few maps that they'd found in the garage, there weren't a lot of supplies. He did find a pair of fingerless black leather gloves though and wished that he had his poncho with him. He searched around for a leather jacket that he could wear and found it one of the boxes.
"Found some fuel tanks that haven't gone bad. I'll put them in the truck," Ethan offered. Daryl nodded and helped him carry it to the truck that they had hid in the garage.
The last thing they needed was a group or someone, trying to steal their stuff while they were in the house. That was something, they couldn't let happen.
"This place reminds me of my grandmother's farm in a way. It has the same styled house. I just wish we were at her ranch, but knowing our luck, someone's either ransacked it or living in the house," Ethan said distantly. Daryl looked at him and remembered what Cain had said about how their mother was emotionally and physically abusive.
"Did yer momma hit ya all, or did she just yell at all of ya?" Daryl asked quietly. Ethan sighed bitterly as he remembered the abusive childhood under their mother.
"It wasn't so bad with me, Cain and Eve but Debbie got it the worst and it got even rougher, especially after she became deaf after getting sick with meningitis. Our mom moaned about the medical bills, and how she wasn't going to spend thousands of dollars for an expensive hearing aid. You can imagine how happy she was when the doctors said Debbie was only partially deaf," he said bitterly, and went to check the other room.
Daryl took in his words silently. Christ, no wonder she hated talking about her mom.
Enjoy, and review :)