It's My Life
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Charlene.
Chapter 10: Atlanta
Charlene smiled softly as Shane continued to talk beside her. The hot Georgian sun cast it's glares down on their backs as the forest floor crunched beneath their feet. His eyes were fixated on the ground, his shotgun butt was held to his chest across his body.
Charlene's bow and arrow rested lazily in the crook of her arm. The trees did little to shadow them from the hot rays and sticky air. Sweat tickled a trail down her back- her white tank clung to her small frame. In hindsight, she had wished desperately to have grabbed a different color of pants- the black Dixie jeans stuck to her body in the overwhelming heat of the day and provided absolutely no comfort.
Hell, she'd die of a heat stroke before the zombie's ever even laid a single rotted finger on her little overcooked body. Charlene wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.
"I had hoped that Rick would've been awake when I went to the hospital. God- the military were executing everyone. The power cut out and Rick died. I checked his heart- he was dead."
Shane shot her a pained glance. She could see the torment in his eyes over the loss of his partner. Charlene grimaced. "Perhaps it was better this way. He never did have to come to this world and worry every goddamn day that all those he loved would turn into rotted freaks."
Her brother scoffed. "Yeah, now I'm the one getting gray hairs over it."
The petite woman smiled. "You're a good friend Shane- taking care of Rick's family in his death."
Shane grimaced this time around as he watched her arrow fly through the heart of a squirrel sitting on a tree idly. "Yeah, I dunno how he'd feel about me screwing his wife though."
Charlene gave a shrug. "Well, if I were to die and leave a husband behind, I most certainly wouldn't expect him to just live the rest of his life in misery. You're giving his wife everything she needs to survive in this world- and if it helps you in the long run as well, what's the problem? I honestly don't think Rick would be bothered by it. He's probably just thankful to hell and back that his wife and son aren't half eaten walking corpses."
Her brother gave a shrug. "I pushed a gurney in front of his door so the geeks wouldn't get to him. I figured it was better that his body just rotted than to be torn into-" Shane stopped his sentence short and took a deep breath through his nose. His lips were pressed in a firm line.
His little sister nodded her head in understand. "Like I said, you're a good friend, Shane."
He smiled and bumped his elbow into her, knocking her into a tree gently. Charlene gave a small squeak and shoved his shoulder back. Shane laughed, "God, Char- I tried so hard not to think about you. I had no idea whether you were alive or gone…ya know?"
She bobbed her head in understanding. "I knew you'd make it. You ain't no idiot, I just had to focus on keepin' myself alive. This world is tough for chicks- we don't just gotta worry about the geeks."
Shane nodded his head seriously. "Exactly. This thing I got going, they all just started turning to me- I don't know if I can keep them all safe and I think it's a little unfair because given the chance, I'd choose Lori and Carl every time."
The woman released another arrow. His dark colored eyes followed it straight into a raccoon that had been making a mad dash across the forest floor. "Being a leader is a tricky thing; even trickier when you have loved ones followin' ya as well- dependin' on you for every thing."
Shane remained quiet as Charlene squatted down next to the dead animal. She jerked her arrow free and picked it up by the tail. "You do what ya gotta do, Shane." Her cerulean eyes connected with her brother's seriously. He quirked a small smile, "The two Walshes, got everyone dependin' on us for somethin'."
His sister grinned wryly. "Not me anymore, brother. This is all on you." He smiled in return, before he could say anything, Charlene cut in again. "Wha' ya' think, I make a nice little coon skin for the kids, huh?"
Her brother laughed. "I dunno how Lori would feel about her son wearing a diseased carcass." Charlene's lip curled. "Daryl sure did appreciate gettin' first dibs on that deer skin."
"Yeah, I really don't want Carl ending up like that hillbilly-"
"Daryl."
"-Whatever, not a good comparison, Char."
Charlene wrinkled her nose up in distaste. "That deer skin will be good come the winter months. You might not be knocking our tastes so hard then, brother."
Shane's brow furrowed as his eyes squinted against the glare of the sun through the tree line. "Why'd ya' give it him?"
"He helped with the deer, only fair."
Shane put a hand on her shoulder. "I dunno why you're so buddy buddy with the Dixon's but-"
Charlene removed his hand with a growl of warning, "Shane. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself and be friends with whoever I wanna be. They aren't all that bad- Merle has his moments and Daryl has got the biggest stick up his ass if I've ever seen one, but they aren't bad people."
"You aren't…-" Shane grimaced at the mere thought. Charlene scoffed loudly. "As if. I wouldn't touch Merle with a ten foot pole, he's probably got all kinds o' goodies below deck. And Daryl- he's not bad, he's just so broody. I wouldn't even really call us friends more just forced partners in this god forsaken shit storm."
Shane grumbled. "I dunno if I like the word partner all that much."
Charlene rolled her eyes as they stepped back into camp. "Holy hell, Shane. Pull your dick out of your princess crown- ain't nothin' between me and them."
Her brother watched as she strode away towards the Dixon's tent. "Princess crown?" He gave an annoyed grunt to himself before moving off towards the water hole. She was a pain in the ass, but God was he thankful every day that she was alive to be that pain in his ass.
"Where y'all headed off to?" Charlene asked curiously. She had the skin of the raccoon slung over her shoulder. Glenn and Andrea headed towards the large white van. Glenn muttered with an edge of irritation. "We're making a supply run."
Her eyebrows raised into her hairline, "Problem?"
"Yeah, I have to take all of these guys with me." He gestured behind Charlene. She turned to see Morales, T-dog, and Merle making their way to the van. She whipped around, "First time you take tag-a-longs and I'm not invited?" Andrea gave an apologetic shrug, "We figured because of your shoulder it'd be best if you hung behind."
Merle clapped a bear-like hand down on her dislocated shoulder. Charlene resisted the wince that threated her glaring face. "Don't worry, swee'heart. Ol' Merle can take care of 'imself."
She shoved his hand away. "I ain't worried about your ugly ass. Geeks catch a whiff of ya' and they're gonna run in the other direction." He only laughed loudly in response.
T-dog wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "You're worried about me, ain't ya'?" He gave her a playful wink; Charlene placed a hand on his chest and pecked him on the cheek. "Oh absolutely, darling."
The large man laughed and placed a kiss on her temple before giving her a final squeeze and jumping in the back of the van. Charlene crossed her arms when Merle called back, "Watch little Darylina for me, will ya? He might need some consoling when I'm not there to wipe his ass." His characteristic, raspy laugh echoed from inside.
Charlene gave a small wave when the back slammed shut and the van began rolling away from the campsite. Stupid jackasses. Her shoulder was fine.
The petite woman climbed into the deer blind. As her head peaked over the top she caught sight of Daryl with a pair of binoculars. He growled menacingly, "The fuck ya' want?" She pulled her body up inside the small area and gave a small shrug in response.
"Merle just left for a supply run, thought ya'd like to know."
"I ain't his baby sitter."
"No, but apparently you need someone to wipe your ass for ya'." She replied with a tiny smirk as her eyes swept over the forest. Daryl snarled, "Fuck off." His lip was curled in nothing more than irritation. Charlene could have sworn his cheeks were tinged with humiliation, but under all that dirt and grime she could never be so sure.
She smiled to herself and said nothing more. They stayed in the blind in a companionable silence when Daryl grunted suddenly, "Look's like dumb and dumber are gettin' it on."
Charlene's eyebrows raised into her hairline, "Who?" He said nothing but handed her the binoculars. Her tiny frame squeezed past his. Daryl sucked in a breath as her hand brushed across his chest, a shiver ran from the top of his spine and spread a warmth to his entire body. A glower began forming as he moved to gain space from her.
Charlene lifted the binoculars to her eyes to see none other than her brother and Lori. She gasped in disgust and dropped the sights from her eyes quickly. The tiny woman whipped around, "God, Daryl! I didn't fuckin' need to see that shit." She slapped the binoculars to his chest, his hands wrapped around them and a genuine laugh erupted from his body.
Charlene was enraptured in that honest to God smile that ripped across his dirt-covered face. She could feel his hands brushing hers and like a fucking schoolgirl a goddamn blush roared up her neck and flamed across her cheeks. Daryl suddenly pulled away, his laugh and smile gone and no evidence of them even lingered. Charlene lifted her eyes to his; a half smile tilted her lips upwards.
"You have a nice smile- you should do it more often."
The man stepped away as if she burned him and scowled deeply. His eyes dropped to the floor and refused to meet hers. Charlene smiled and turned her back to him, returning her gaze to the forest. "I saw some deer tracks earlier- ya' gonna track it down?"
Daryl, grateful for a change of subject nodded his head. He came to stand beside her and pointed out the trail. "Yuh, looks like it's headed that way."
The hunter moved to the ladder to head on down. "How long will you be gone?" Charlene shifted her cerulean gaze to Daryl's icy blue stare. He gave a noncommittal shrug. "A day, maybe two."
He paused once more as her words drifted to him softly. "Be careful." His eyes snapped to hers in a scrutinizing glare, trying to find any hint of deception in her body language and words. Nothing but sincerity was held in that tender smile of hers, which turned devious nearly instantly. "Don't make me come save your ass, Dixon."
Daryl scoffed as he dropped to the forest floor. Charlene gave him a wave, "Bye." He frowned and gave her a grunt and a sort of cross between a wave and a two fingered salute. Charlene watched his retreating back and bit into her lip at the unwelcome feelings rushing through her body and further complicating her apocalypse.
What'd y'all think of this chapter? We're about to meet Rick, we'll see how well that goes down when Charlene finds her buddy missing. I love hearing y'alls thoughts sooo please leave me what you're thinking, hoping for, or expecting to see! Thank you for reading!