-Trying Not To Snap-
-Chase Monihan-
Once we were home again,I felt this sudden twinge of regret and pain each time I looked at Shane. I knew it wasn't right to leave,but I wanted out. I was terrified of this world now,and I was going insane without Dylan. I stand in the garage,fixing the engine on the old 4x4 my Uncle had given my father when someone walks in behind me.
"Chase? Hey are you alright? What happened?"Daryl asks softly as he stands behind me,patiently awaiting my answers. I try and ignore him,breathing slowly and grabbing another tool. He steps closer,putting a hand on the small of my back.
"I left to try and escape this new world. I miss my sister and parents,and I was worried I couldn't handle this world anymore without them. I was done."I say softly,trying to keep working. I clear my throat as tears come up to the surface and cloud my vision.
"I understand you miss your sister,Chase. I miss my brother too. I think he's alive in this little refuge town called Wood-Berry,but I don't know for sure."He says softly,trying to relate so I'd calm down. I sigh and put the tool down,turning toward him.
"Honestly Daryl,if I had any idea my sister was alive,I'd be with her. I'd find her and be with her. You never know when,where and how you'll die but you better make sure it's with people you care about and for a life well spent."I say softly,wiping tears from my cheeks. He reaches forward,brushing his thumb over my cheek bone,and smiles faintly. His milk chocolate eyes shine in the dim light,seeming to draw out the slight low lights of his mud brown hair. He had a certain southern vibe to him that drew any girl in,but it was the sincere smile and warmth that he offered me anytime he saw me that reeled me in. He wore the same blood stained grey shirt,blue jeans,cowboy boots,and hunting vest I met him in. I giggle faintly,smiling up at him.
"I'm sure I can find some clothes for you to change into while I wash those,if you'd like. May not have heat to dry them,but you'll have them back by tomorrow."I say softly,trying to forget about my seemingly ridiculous pain. He nods slightly and wraps an arm around my shoulders,keeping his crossbow close on the other side.
"I'd like that,but you have to make me a deal."He says,walking with me up to the house and inside. I smile and lead him back toward the weapons room where my family's things were laid along with our weaponry and ammunition. He grips my hand and stops me just as I open the door.
"Tomorrow you'll come with me to Wood-Berry to help me look for Mural."He says sweetly,stepping closer and letting me lead him toward the closet. I laugh softly,opening the door and pulling out a black short sleeved shirt,faded blue jeans and a vest I knew he'd love. It was a denim vest with grey angel wings sown into the back. I set the clothes on the bed next to him and step aside from the full length mirror behind me.
"Of course I'll go with you."I say,walking to the door to close it. I turn back and he was already pulling up and buttoning the jeans I gave him and shirtless. He was very well built for a man who didn't like to flaunt it. I could see a deep slit on his left ribs and try to mentally figure out what happened. I walk toward the desk across the room,letting him finish getting changed,and grab the first aide kit.
"Don't put that shirt on yet."I say softly,walking back to him. He grips my wrist when I try to examine the damage.
"I'm just gonna take a shower anyway."He says,trying to brush me off. I shake my head and sigh,not buying it.
"If you were you wouldn't have changed into clean clothes before hand. You can take a shower tomorrow after we find Mural. For now,you'll have to deal with deodorant and cologne."I say,smiling and giggling to myself. He chuckles and nods,putting on some deodorant of my father's and turning to let me look at the gash.
"So...how's things with you and Shane?"He asks softly,nervous as if he knew it was an odd question to start small talk with a girl who's trying to patch you up. I smile and try to gently wash the area around the gash before adding disinfectant to it.
"Good. We've only been dating for almost three months now and I already feel like he knows more about me than anyone else does."I say honestly,watching his eyes seem to shift with a slight edge of regret.
"I know you two don't like each other,Daryl. I just don't want to lose any of you. Andrea on the other hand..."I say,watching the stern look on his face turn into a more happy and cheerful expression as he laughs. I mean really laughs. For the first time in a while,I could tell,he laughed a good throaty laugh. He wraps and arm around my shoulders after I bandage his ribs and pulls me up to him. He kisses my temple and smiles.
"You...you are gonna fit in perfectly with the Dixons."He chuckles,pulling on the shirt and vest. I smile and nod,stepping back. He smiles and smooths my hair,taking my hand and walking toward the door again.
"I wish you the best in whatever remains in this world,but I want you to know something."He says,stopping in front of the door and gently pulling me closer,going from his once joking manner back to his stern and serious glare. I look at him and nod slightly as I stand in front of him.
"If Shane doesn't protect you right,or he hurts you,I'm not the only one who'll go after him. You're a sweet,good,girl whether you want people to realize it or not,and you deserve the best. I just don't want him,or anyone else to jeopardize that for you."He says,looking me dead in the eye. I lock eyes with him and nod,glad to have someone care about me if not more than Shane then the same as him. I nod,knowing he was talking about Glenn and Dale,and tighten my grip on his hand,letting him know I return the favor anytime he needed me.
"Thank you,Daryl."I say softly,kissing his cheek as he opens the door. He leads me back down the hall and to the kitchen where Ric and Lori stood talking while she did the dishes.
"Need any help?"I ask softly,not trying to intrude. Lori smiles and nods,waving me toward the window.
"Will you bring these out to the boys for me?"She asks,handing me a plate full of sandwiches. I nod,smiling,and walk out back with the plate. Daryl follows close behind,walking with me.
"Here ya go,boys. Eat up."I say jokingly,lying the plate on the pick nick bench near Carl,Shane,Glenn,and Dale as they worked on the RV. I tousle Carl's hair,kiss Shane's cheek,and hug Glenn and Dale before walking to the RV. Daryl walks to the garage down the path and grabs my tool box.
"Someone's found a lost puppy."Shane smirks,taking another bite of his sandwich. I glare at him and shake my head.
"Don't be mad because you're jealous of his cross bow."I call,leaning into the RV's engine. Both men chuckle and watch as I play with the engine.
"What makes you think you can fix that when no one else can?!"Andrea growls suddenly,stomping out of the house. I laugh and turn to look at her.
"Maybe because I've fixed almost every vehicle on the property over a hundred times when dumb blondes like you take them for joyrides."I snap back,growling it into the engine while leaning over the grill. Suddenly I hear something snap and before I can turn to look for what it was,I was thrown into the engine. I growl in pain as a gear slashes my arm. I grab a wrench and throw it,hitting her in the jaw. She whimpers and charges the RV. I climb out quickly and hit her again,pinning her to the far wall. She falls to the floor once I let her go,holding her jaw and ribs. I walk out,balling my fists,and growl. Daryl rushes toward me,trying to check on me,when Andrea rushes me,tackling me to the empty pick nick table. I growl,kneeing her in the ribs.
"I'm gonna kill you!"She screams,gripping my hair and pulling me to the ground. I turn,tripping her and slamming her head into the dirt.
"Shane,grab her!"Daryl growls,dropping his cross bow and wrapping his arms around my waist. He picks me up,tightening his grip,and lets me work out my anger in twisting,kicking and struggling to get at her. Shane rushes to Andrea. She gets up,cupping her head and screams in that classic teenage girl -I'm-mad-I-can't-get-my-way- groan and runs into the woods behind the house. Shane rolls his eyes and puts his hand up as a volunteer.
"I'll get her."He grumbles,running after her.
"You better stay gone,bitch! I'll fucking kill you!"I yell,hoping she heard me. I take a deep breath,letting my body relax and melt to Daryl's behind me. He slowly lowers me to the ground and loosens his grip on me. He grips my hips and turns me to face him.
"Are you crazy?!"He half growls and half chuckles,eyes gleaming with an unexpected joy. He pulls me close,arms wrapped tightly around my midsection again,and chuckles. His soothing heart beat made my eyes droop as if a baby listening to a mother's lullaby. It was a peaceful song sung to my ears in such a romantic way. But...how? I push the thought away and giggle,pulling away slightly.
"If I wasn't,would you still love me?"I giggle,smiling. He smiles,brushing hair out of my face when something brushes my arm and causes a shock of lightning to bolt up every nerve ending in my arm. I gasp,not able to find the air to scream in pain,and clutch my arm. He looks down at it,watching as warm thick blood drips down my fingertips and taints the dying green grass. He quickly straps his cross bow onto his back and picks me up.
"Keep pressure on your arm. I'll get you to Hershel."He whispers reassuringly,carrying me back into the house. He kicks the front door open as lightly as possible,trying to get it open and yet not rip it off its hinges.
"Hershel! Chase needs your help!"He calls into the empty space we stepped into. Lori comes around the corner as Carl and Glenn step into the house. Jordan stepped out behind Lori,watching Daryl handle me.
"Jordan,run to the kitchen and get a wash cloth soaked in warm water and a bowl."Lori orders softly,nodding for Daryl to put me down. Just as my feet touch the hard wood floor,Hershel touches my elbow.
"Glenn,go to my office down the hall and get bandages,medical wrap,and a bottle of disinfecting alcohol."He orders softly as well,ushering me along with Lori and Jordan,toward the dining room table. Lori took the dish towel from her apron and lies it on the table to protect the table. When Glenn returns with the needed supplies,Hershel takes the cloth from Jordan and dabs the slash,trying to stop the bleeding. He turns my arm,pouring alcohol on the wound. I growl in pain,gripping the closest person to me. Daryl. I had unknowing grabbed his shirt. He smiles faintly,giving me his hand once the pain dulls enough to where I can let go.
"Lori,will you please start a fire and put a poker in the coals."Hershel asks politely,nodding toward the fireplace across from the dining room table. She nods and starts a fire. Her face sold her out. She knew something I didn't. Jordan looked woozy and gripped Glenn's shirt tight. He side stepped,using Daryl to block my arm out of her direct view. My heart started pounding as I watch the blood pump from my arm. Why wouldn't it stop?!
"Bring me that fire poker."Hershel says emotionlessly to Lori,eyes filled with regret. I gasp and turn my head,knowing he had to cauterize it to save me from blood loss. Daryl steps closer,taking off his cross bow and running his fingers through my hair. He leans into me,letting me hide my face in his lower chest and midsection as I grip his hand.
"Look at me,Chase. Focus on me."He says softly,lifting my chin with the other hand. He looks down at me and nods faintly toward Hershel. Suddenly the pain hits as Hershel presses the heated metal to my skin and a hissing sound ripped through the air. My skin burning. I scream in pain,holding onto Daryl for dear life and trying not to lose eye contact. He smiles sympathetically,watching the pain spread through me. Slowly the pain dulls into a cooling blister as Hershel cleans the wound again,bandages it up and wraps my arm up. He kisses it sweetly,handing me half a pain pill and packing his medical supplies back up. I thank everyone for their help and turn to stand when my shaking legs refuse to support me. Daryl catches me,pulling me close and setting me back down on the chair. Maggie brings me a small glass of water and smiles.
"You should sleep for a little bit after you take that,but you'll feel much better. You did very well."She says,smiling. I chuckle and nod,thanking her for the water as I take the pain medication and drain the rest of the cup. She takes the empty dish and walks toward the kitchen,letting Daryl take over. Literally. He leans down and picks me up again. I grab his cross bow with my other hand and rest against his shoulder. He grins happily to himself and walks back toward his room. Once inside,he lies me on the bed and gets a blanket out of the closet. He unfolds it and pulls off his vest. He climbs into the bed beside me,covering me up,and gently plays with me hair. I giggle and turn to look at him but my arm refuses to support me,much like my legs had. He chuckles and shifts,lying down and patting his chest for me. I smile faintly and move in closer,lying my head on his chest.
"When you wake up,I'll take you for a ride into town. Something tells me we'll need to go window shopping sometime soon anyway."He whispers,making a joke out of how the world used to be. I nod slightly,closing my eyes and letting myself fall asleep to his heart's sweet lullaby.
The pain medication was weighting hard on my senses,making me drowsy and too warm. I can feel my heart pounding and my breath thinning as it quickens. I try and grip Daryl's hand,but he wasn't beside me anymore. I manage to stand,shakily,and walk toward the door. I step out of the room,seeing a figure leaning against the wall at the opposite end of the hall. A man. He looked a lot like Shane,but why would he be there? My legs grow weak and I can't stand,falling to my knees. I look up toward the blurry figure,watching as another joins it. A woman. Andrea? Suddenly the woman pushes the man against the wall and kisses him hard,pressing herself against him. My heart sinks,shattering in my stomach. I can feel my eyes watering just as my vision starts to clear.
"Chase,what are you doing out here? Are you okay?"Daryl murmurs faintly,picking me up again as he walks back from the bathroom next to me. I look over his shoulder and notice why my heart hurts so much. At the end of the hall,Shane was holding Andrea close,kissing her and fondling her. I sink into Daryl's chest,letting my body go limp,and give into his commands as he carries me back to bed.
I must've been crying when Daryl put me back in bed. He held me tight against him,keeping me close to his side and trying to calm me with a soft melody he hummed as he smoothed my hair and ran his fingers over my back.
"Who was in the hall?"I whisper,gripping his shirt as my muscles suddenly loosen in preparation for a deep dreamless sleep. Or at least I hoped it was dreamless. He covered my hand with his,squeezing it slightly to offer his support,and sighs.
"No one was in the hall,Chase. You were the only one." He says softly,trying to appease my wonderment. My heart sank. I was either seeing things,or he was hiding things from me. I nod slightly,letting myself fall into the abyss that was trying to overcome me,and forget about the mysterious figures in the hall.
Waking up in the morning,I felt Daryl shifting away from me. I tightened my grip on him,trying to keep my eyes shut as long as I could. I didn't want to see the world that was forever continuing to crash around me. I could feel him turn and hover over me when the sweet smell of bacon suddenly filled my lungs. I peaked and looked up at him. He chuckles,smiling down at me as he takes a bite of a strip of bacon he held in his hand. He tilts it down toward my lips and smiles wider as I lean up and take a bite.
"There's my girl. How are you feeling?"He says happily,helping me sit up in bed. Next to the bed sat a nightstand with a tray of toast,bacon,scrambled eggs,hash browns and mini pancakes with two glasses of orange juice. Spiked. I could taste the vodka on my lips just sitting here. I chuckle,missing these simple things,and take a strip of bacon.
"I'm better. Thank you for staying with me."I say,eating the treasured pork strip I held. He stands,taking my hands and pulling me up with him.
He nods with a sincere gleam in his eyes before saying,"Someone had to stay with you,Warrior Princess."He says,chuckling and finishes a piece of toast.
"I'm gonna get a shower,but I want you to eat."He says,smiling and grabbing his vest and another shirt. I chuckle and nod,walking toward the tray.
"Daryl?"I ask softly,stopping him before he reached the door. He turns slightly,looking at me over his shoulder.
"Did Shane ever..."I ask,stopping myself before I could finish. He lets his head drop slightly,trying not to let me see the disappointment in his face. Instead,he looks up at me and fakes a grin.
"Yeah. He stayed half the night with you."He says,trying not to keep eye contact with me longer than necessary. I sigh and nod,walking to him. I put a hand on his chest and look up into his eyes.
"Thanks for trying,but you've done enough for me. No need to lie for my boyfriend too."I say softly,shifting onto my toes and wrapping my arms around his neck. My body instantly melts to his as I hug him. He sighs softly,wrapping his arms around my waist.
"I'm sorry. Just focus on eating and getting back on your feet. I'll take care of the rest."He whispers,moving to hold me at arms length.
"Save me some bacon."He chuckles before leaving the room before I had a chance to object his offer. I smile inwardly,kicking the door shut and walking back toward the tray.
"Hey gorgeous. How are you feeling?"I hear Shane call. I turn and see him standing in the door way. I roll my eyes and sit on the bed side,eating my breakfast.
"I take it Glenn unlocked the food cellar?"I asked,draining the emotion from my voice as he sits beside me. He wraps an arm around my waist and kisses my shoulder gently as his mumbles his agreement. I nod to myself and place the rest of the bacon on the napkin near by. I pick up the tray and stand,draining both glasses of spiked orange juice,and walking out.
"Here guys,you need this more and me."I say softly to both Carl and Lori as they sit with Rick and Hershel at the dinning room table. I gave Lori the plate with the most food,nodding to Carl to let her eat as much as she needed for her and her baby. He smiles and nods,tipping his father's hat slightly like a polite cowboy. I take it off of his head for a moment,only long enough to kiss his hair,and put it back on. Lori smiles faintly,letting it fade when she notices why I can't eat. Shane. He followed me out,grabbing my waist and turning me toward him.
"Come with me. I have to go into town today with Glenn and Jordan. Maybe we can find you some new clothes or even something else to eat."He says,running his fingers down the back of my arm. I knew that was his code for,'or finding a quiet place for us to fuck'. City Hall the other night was a bad idea in itself. Knowing he didn't see me at all when I needed him or that in the back of my mind I know he and Andrea have something going on,only made it worse.
"No,that's alright Shane. I'd rather stay here this go on ahead."I say,forcing a smile and kissing his cheek. He nods slightly and quickly walks out. I turn to look at Rick and his growing family.
"I hope it's not a problem if Daryl and I go out today."I say softly,watching Rick and Lori's eyes for a sign of weariness and caution. Rick smiles and nods as if the happily agreeing father watching his daughter going on her first date. I smile faintly,turning slightly just in time to see Daryl walking out of the bathroom holding his shirt and towel drying his hair. The warm water he pumped from outside was still dripping slowly down his chest and abs. He smiles,letting his head drop in a bashfully sweet manner,nodding me down the hall and back toward his room. I nod my thanks to Rick and walk back down the hall.
"You finished all the food and drank all the juice?"He chuckles,pulling on his shirt and vest. I shut the door and sit against it,lying my head against it with my eyes closed.
"I gave the rest of the food,other than the bacon on that napkin,to Carl and Lori,and I drank the juice you spiked. I needed it."I say softly,rubbing my temples. He walks over and squats down in front of me,taking my hands away from my head and bringing them close to his chest.
"What's wrong?"He whispers,letting his lips brush against my knuckles gently before kissing them and pulling me up to stand with him. I shake my head and sigh,stepping away and grabbing my leather jacket.
"Come on. What do you say we go find your brother and possibly go window shopping?"I ask,fixing my hair in the mirror. He smiles and nods,grabbing his crossbow.
We walk out to his motorcycle in the garage when I notice Andrea standing all too close to Shane. The way he smiled at what she said,leaned in toward her,and watched her move made me wanna scream. I just roll my eyes and open the door.
"Shane's not gonna like leaving and knowing you're leaving with me,girlly." He says,straddling his bike in front of me. I wrap my arms around his waist and lie my head against his back.
"He can get over it."I growl,tightening my grip for a second,signaling him to go ahead and leave. He nods slightly and stars the bike. Seconds later,he drives us down the driveway,not making me look at Shane,and takes off directly toward the city. Was Wood-Berry in the city? I close my eyes and let the cool,speeding air dance with my hair and whip at my face. Before I knew it,Daryl was pulling into an abandoned Walmart wanna be's parking lot.
We hurry inside,seeing a growling group of deranged city dwellers stumbling toward us,and gather anything inside we may need. Food, water, clothing, weaponry, amo, bandages, and anything else that was left in tact. Throwing everything we could into tote bags,we rush out toward the bike again. We tie the bags onto his weaponry 'back pack' and head toward Wood-Berry again. The only problem was getting away. As the stumbling group neared us,the back tire of the bike couldn't grip the ground enough to go. The bike starts to fish tail and swerve,urging the undead city dwellers to chew on my back. I tighten my grip with one hand and grip the shot gun I packed in my tote. Before I can shoot any of the bloodied faces,one by one they drop with a single bullet wound. Suddenly the bike grips and starts going.
"Follow us. We'll help you."A Latino man calls,finishing off the group and rushing back toward a military jeep before we exit the parking lot. He cuts in front of us on the street and leads us toward a blocked off sign in the middle of the city's town square read 'Wood-Berry'. Daryl tightens his grip on the handle bars,making his knuckles turn white.
"Stay close. We don't know these people and all we are here for is Mural."He says,leaning closer to talk softly over the roar of the engine. I nod and look at the cut off neighborhood. It was quite beautiful considering the world today,but the people here. The people were looking at us like we were crazy for coming here.
"Aww,Martinez,you shouldn't have. You brought me someone to play with."A man growls once the jeep parks in front of us. I didn't have time to justify what the mystery man had said when he grips my hair and yanks me off of the bike. I reach around to grab Daryl's crossbow when the man knocks it out of my hands as he brings me up to his chest. I growl and kick as he ties my hands behind my back.
"Put her down."I hear Daryl snap behind me. I listen as his gun clicks and he picks up his crossbow. The man was older with minimal hair on his head,slightly squinted eyes and a gravel voice. The voice you hated hearing as a child.
"What are you gonna do,shoot me?"He eggs on,shoving something cool and metallic into my back. I growl and knee him in the groin. Once he let me go and bent over,I step back and kick him in the shoulder. Not only separating his shoulder from his socket but sending him flying back a few feet on hi back.
"I was gonna say,she wouldn't need me to,but would you look at that? She didn't."Daryl growl,stepping up to me and cutting the rope on my hands. I dig my boot into the man's separated shoulder,cocking my gun and pointing it at him.
"Are you really gonna let her shoot your own brother?"He chuckles,watching me. I look at Daryl and groan. The disgusted rage and hatred in his eyes as he watched the man on the ground writhe under my boot was enough. Deep in those irises screamed his recognition. This must've been Mural.
"Now,now,no violence needed here. Please. Let my advisor go."Another man calls,running toward me. I holster my gun and turn to see who else was coming. A man with a pleasant smile,brown hair and one noticeable deep brown eyes. The other was hidden behind a handmade eyepatch.
"Governor,we found them stuck in the lot up the road."The Latino Mural named Martinez calls,trying to justify why the strangers were here.
"She separated my damn shoulder,sir. Let me shoot her."Mural growls,hauling himself up again. I laugh and look at Daryl.
"I know he's your brother and all,but he's an asshole."I say,shrugging off the fact that I hurt him. Daryl nods and smiles,wrapping an arm around my waist,pulling my against his hip.
"You did good,girlly. He'll never live down the fact that he got beat up by a girl."He chuckles,kissing my hair and walking toward the bike again. I turn to look at Mural and realize what the metallic object he shoved into my back was. His hand. Or the absence of one. He only had a metal covering over his stump. I felt bad,but only for a second. Then that sick bastard had the nerve to smirk. I roll my eyes and turn toward the Governor.
"I'm sorry about hurting your advisor,but he dragged me off of that motorcycle,tied my hands up and refused to let me go. I had no choice but to defend myself."I say,trying my best to apologize for something I wasn't sorry for to a man I didn't know. He nods slightly with a slight smirk,watching me walk back to the motorcycle. I could feel eyes on my back,burning into my soul. I clutch my gun and stiffen as Daryl moves closer.
"Something's wrong here. I can feel it. I don't like it."I whisper,stepping closer and closing the gap between us. His eyes squint slightly,trying to read my fear,as he wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me into his chest.
"Lemme talk to my brother alone and we'll leave. I'll take you window shopping in the city like I promised and then we'll go home."He whispers,gripping the back of my neck with his other hand and kissing my forehead. I nod slightly and watch him follow Mural's motion toward the white mansion next to them.
"You better bring your girlfriend,little brother. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her outside."Mural cackles,following the Governor into the building. Locking eyes with Daryl,I reluctantly ran toward him on the stairs. He sighs,an apology etched deep into his eyes as he grabs my hand and leads me toward the men.
"Welcome to Wood-Berry. I'm Milton. Will you be staying with us?"Another man chirps happily. He was a sweet looking man with light brown hair and brown eyes behind glasses. He was short and dressed nicely in a sweater vest,white button down and slacks. I tighten my grip on Daryl's hand noticing the warning in his eyes. It made my stomach churn.
"I'm afraid we only came for Mural here. I'm sorry."I say softly,glancing toward Mural. He chuckles and goes to touch me when Daryl hurriedly points his crossbow at him.
"You don't get to touch her after the stunt you pulled."He hisses,letting go of my hand and stepping in front of me. Mural laughs wildly and looks at the ground.
"Would it help if I apologized to your girl?"He chuckles.
"No. I'm not his girlfriend and we only came to bring you back with us."I say,trying not to hiss as my blood started to boil.
"Back where,Ms...?"The Governor sighs,turning away from the window where he stood staring out of.
"Ms. Monihan. Chase Monihan and home. My home. Our group lives there at least until we find someplace better."I say,tightening my grip on my gun. Something about the way he looked at me was off. It wasn't right.
"I'm not going anywhere,and by the looks of it,you two aren't either."Mural chuckles,pointing out the window. It was getting dark. He was right. I growl inwardly and tug on Daryl's belt. He nods and looks up at the Governor.
"You two can stay here tonight but I want you gone by morning. If you go with them or not,it's your decision Mural."He answers,calling over his shoulder as he hurries to pull on a black coat and walk out of the office we stood in. Milton clears his throat and waves Daryl and I to follow him across the street to a large apartment building. He leads us to a room and smiles.
"Dinner will be at 9 before the town meeting."He says,unlocking the door and rushes out of Mural's way. I go to move past him to grab our bags from the motorcycle when he grabs me by my hair,pulling me back to him.
"She's a firecracker,huh brother?"He hisses in my ear,catching Daryl's attention as he lies his weapons down on the counter. He growls and steps closer when a knife touches my throat. The knife connected to his metallic stub cover.
"Face it,Daryl. You're her boy jump."He chuckles,tightening his grip on my hair,pinning my hands behind my back. Daryl growls and straightens.
"I ain't no body's bitch."He snarls,throwing daggers at his brother through his eyes. He chuckles and drops me suddenly,walking away.
"We'll see about that at the meeting tonight."He calls as Daryl helps me up. He picks me up and sits me on the counter next to his bow. He goes to step toward me when Milton walks in and sits our bags of food and ammunition on the couch. I nod my thanks as he leaves,closing the door. Daryl sighs with frustration,running a hand through his hair,and walks over to me.
"We'll be home again in the morning. Then we'll go window shopping."He says softly,kissing my jaw. I giggle faintly and nod,taking the water bottle he held in his hand tilted toward me. He chuckles softly,grabbing another. We take a drink at the same time when I notice the bottle I held was leaking. I blow it off sit it down.
"I apologize for Mural."He says softly,eyes pleading me to take it. I nod and watch him. This big,strong,country man was sitting in front of me trying to apologize for his older brother. He was like stone any other time,but I swear my eyes were playing cruel tricks on me. He seemed oddly gentle and somewhat at ease around me. I smile and take another drink of water.
"He's nothing like you,Daryl Dixon,but if it'll make you feel better...I'll forgive him."I say with a faint smile. He lets out a long awaited breath. I look at the bottle and notice tiny white things floating in the water. I try and focus on a tiny hole I found near the lid,like a medical shot was given to my bottle,when my vision goes blurry again.
"Daryl...I..."I manage slightly,falling forward. I know he caught me,but to say how far from the floor...I didn't know. Everything went black and the last thing I remember was Daryl calling to me.
Groggily,I woke up to a low roar of cheers and hot dim lights. The bed I once laid in was now a hard patch of sand and gravel. I rub my eyes and see a small arena of people around me cheering. I go to stand,but my legs give out. I search for my weapons and can only find a sharp piece of glass. I hold it close not knowing what was going on.
"Tonight,ladies and gentlemen,I give you...the new comer. Chase Monihan!"I hear a man announce loudly. I look up and see the Governor standing above me. The people roar louder. I scan the crowd and find Milton. His eyes water as he watches me,an apology screaming through his tears and heartbroken expression. I can't find Daryl. I mouth his name and watch as Milton sadly shakes his head.
"Daryl! Help me!"I scream trying to get up and run when a chain snaps and pulls me back. The Governor chuckles grossly,putting a boot to my chest.
"You're not going anywhere."He hisses,laughing. He nods toward Mural with a sick grin. Suddenly a door opens and two walkers come stumbling closer. I scream and try to run again. I wasn't prepared for this. I didn't have my weapons or the faith to pull it off.
"Daryl!"I scream,pleading him to hear me.
"Let me go! She needs me! Please!"I can hear him growl trying to rip his way toward me. It was no use. I was going to die and these people were not only going to watch themselves but force Daryl to watch it too. What horrid people.
