Chapter 12: The Truth

It was dawn and Andrea was still holding a dead Amy in her arms just looking at her face. Lori went over to her and told her she needed to give up the body soon. Rick went over to Andrea but she pulled a gun on him. Shane was about to try and talk to her.

"Shane don't, she wants to be alone." Brooke told him but she didn't know Andrea could hear her. "She wants to be with her sister. She'll handle it when she needs too just leave her be." Shane ran his hand through his hair and walked away.

"Thank you." Andrea said quietly.

"I know how you feel. I wanted to be alone when my mother died." She stopped and looked at Daryl. "You only let the most important person in."

"Amy was one of those people." Andrea said.

"Amy was a great person." Brooke said. "I'll leave you alone so you can be with her."

"Thank you." Brooke walked over to Glenn who was crying.

"We don't burn them! They were people just like us! They need to buried in the decent way! The right way!" he cried.

"You left my brother for dead," Daryl barked. "you had this coming." He was about to continue the burning of the bodies but someone pulled him away into the woods.

"Daryl, you need to watch what you say. We all just went through a lot." She said calmly.

"Watch what I say? Why should I? What happened here, these people had it coming." He fired back. "They think that just because Merle had a few issues that he should be locked to a roof and left there for dead."

"No one deserves what happened to Merle or what happened last night!" Brooke exclaimed. "At least Merle made it out and is most likely alive! Merle knows how to take care of himself! Andrea just lost her sister and you want to burn her body!"

"Are you seriously arguing with me on this, Brooke?" he yelled.

"Yes! You're not the only one who's lost someone here! If you were bitten and died I wouldn't burn the bodies! I would bury them because you were one of them! What if I died just then Daryl and T-Dog wanted to burn the bodies? Would you let him?" Brooke argued back. He didn't answer so she turned around to go back to the camp. Daryl grabbed her wrist and pulled her back over. He hugged her a little too tightly.

"Please don't ever ask me that again. I can't stand the fact of losing you." He said. "I'm sorry it's just I'm so angry with them."

"I know you are but it's not like they all planned it. Only Rick and T-Dog but they went back for him even though they knew the risks of going back into the city. They did the best they could. I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"Ever since the day we met you've always apologized for things that weren't your fault." Daryl said while he looked at her and smiled. "Come on we need to go back." They walked back together and Daryl put out the fire. Brooke always knew how to handle situations like this. She was always there for him when he was confused or didn't know what to do. She was there for him in his most difficult times. One even brought them closer together.

It was three months before the outbreak. It was just a little chilly outside for February in Georgia. Brooke had gotten a job at the local hospital and was doing very well. Daryl had called her on her day off.

"Hey Brooke!" Daryl greeted.

"Hey Daryl, what's up?" Brooke asked.

"I need your help." He said. "I have to look after my Meemaw today and for a long time. She's not been doing very well lately and I was wondering if you would come with me?"

"I'd be more than happy to help." She said.

"I'll come pick you up in a bit." They left and arrived at Meemaw Dixon's house. He knocked on the door and a cute old lady with curly white hair opened it. She was short with blue eyes and red lips. Daryl was wearing his usual and Brooke was wearing a pink button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jeans, and black flats. Her hair was straightened and flowed behind her.

"Hi there baby face!" She said. She hugged and kissed Daryl on the cheek.

"Hey Meemaw!" He replied. Meemaw Dixon looked at Brooke.

"Well, who is this lovely lady?" she smiled.

"This is my friend Brooke." He said. Meemaw Dixon walked over and gave her a hug.

"Hello Mrs. Dixon!" Brooke greeted awkwardly.

"Just call me Meemaw Dixon, sweetheart!" Brooke nodded and Meemaw Dixon led them inside. A small, black, cat with green eyes purred against Daryl's leg. "Don't mind Salem, he loves people!" They all sat in the living room for little while and Meemaw Dixon stood up.

"I'm going to go fix dinner." She announced.

"Would you like me to help?" Brooke asked.

"That would be wonderful!" she said and Brooke followed her. They went and started to make Meemaw's specialty soup.

"So Meemaw Dixon, what would you like to talk about?" Brooke asked. In their conversation in the living room Brooke answered all of her questions and she did the same. Meemaw Dixon was a wonderful person.

"I remember what it was like to be young and in love." She reminisced. Brooke smiled. "My husband's name was Andrew. He was very sweet and he took me on my first date."

"So Daryl's Pawpaw was your first and only love?" Brooke asked.

"Yes, Andrew was a great man. Our first date he took me to a small coffee shop. He talked about airplanes and on our first anniversary as a married couple he took me on one." Meemaw Dixon told Brooke more stories of Andrew Dixon. The soup was almost done. Meemaw was funny when she didn't mean to be and Brooke felt bad for laughing but she couldn't hold it in. Brooke was about to taste the soup when she heard one of the most disturbing things. "Andrew was a great husband. He always made sure I was happy." Brooke smiled back and put the spoon in her mouth to taste the soup.

"Hey Brooke, will you come with me for a minute?" Daryl asked in the doorway.

"Sure." She said and walked to him. He pulled her into the other room.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Your Meemaw is wonderful! She's adorable and she does tell some pretty nice stories. Why are you so concerned?" She asked.

"Sorry it's just that Meemaw is very protective sometimes." He said and kissed her forehead. "Come on dinner's ready." He led her to the dining room and they ate the wonderful meal. They stood up to leave and Meemaw Dixon asked them one last question.

"So how long have you two been a couple?" she asked.

"Oh no, Meemaw we aren't together like that." Daryl replied.

"Why not?" Meemaw Dixon asked. "She's a great person, she's funny, and she's a doctor! Plus she has great birthing hips!" Daryl snickered and Brooke smiled and blushed.

"Bye Meemaw." He said and kissed her cheek.

"Bye Meemaw Dixon." Brooke said and they gave each other a hug. Brooke would help Daryl watch Meemaw Dixon about three times a week. Meemaw Dixon had begun to feel like grandmother to Brooke and she really started to care about her like she was part of the Walsh family. One day, two weeks before the outbreak, Brooke got a call from Daryl.

"Hey Brooke, can you check on Meemaw really quick." He asked. "I have to go into work and I know it's your day off."

"No problem! Let me just finish my hair." She said. They said goodbye and hung up. Brooke drove her new Blue Prius Hybrid to Meemaw Dixon's house. Her last Prius finally gave out on her. She didn't mind, she wanted the new car. Brooke took the spare key from under the mat and unlocked the door. Salem didn't greet her. He would usually trot up to her and rub against her leg.

"Salem?" she asked. The cat didn't meow and Meemaw Dixon didn't answer. "Meemaw Dixon?" she asked. She checked the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, everywhere. She went to her bedroom and saw Meemaw Dixon lying face down on the ground. "Meemaw!" she yelled and rolled her over.

"Umph…" Meemaw Dixon whimpered. She still had a heartbeat and Brooke pulled out her I phone and called an ambulance. They were there in less than five minutes and stated she had a heart attack. Brooke called Daryl and he said he would call Merle. Daryl ran into the waiting room.

"Is she okay? Is she gonna make it?" Daryl asked. Brooke had been crying but she knew she couldn't hide what she knew.

"Daryl, her heart isn't strong enough. She's not going to make it." Brooke sniffed. "She wants to see you though." Daryl hugged Brooke and went into the room. Meemaw was barely hanging on but she could still talk and move her head. Daryl grabbed her hand.

"Hey Meemaw." He said quietly.

"Hi baby face." She replied quietly. "I know this is our last conversation so I want to make it count. There's something I absolutely need to tell you."

"What is it Meemaw?" he asked. "I'm listening."

"I know you love Brooke." She said. "It's very easy to tell and I know she loves you too. You can tell from the looks that she gives you. Don't let her go. You need to grab her now before it's too late. I want you to be happy and I know she makes you happy." Daryl knew she was right. He had loved her for so long but he was too scared to tell her. "I love you so much Daryl."

"I love you too Meemaw." He let tears stream down his face.

"Tell Merle I love him." Meemaw breathed and Daryl felt her hand go limp in his hand. He heard the machine and saw a straight line. He knew she was in a better place. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and the nurses came in. He walked out and saw Brooke there. She looked up at him with her glossy, dark blue eyes. He ran to her and cried in the crook of her neck. Merle ran in.

"Where's Meemaw?" he asked. He saw Daryl and Brooke and his face fell.

"She told me to tell you that she loved you." Daryl said. Merle sat down in a chair with wide eyes. He silently cried and Brooke went over to him with a box of tissues. He looked at her, stood up, and crashed into her. He hugged her and did nothing else.

"Thank you so much for helping take care of her." Merle said. She hugged him back and gave him a kiss on the cheek. The boys had to start planning the funeral for Meemaw Dixon. She wanted to be cremated and her remains scattered into the ocean. Brooke said they could borrow the beach house and they said they wanted her to be there. They stood at the edge of the ocean with her ashes in an urn. The boys wore black button up shirts, black slacks, and black dress shoes since they didn't have tuxedos. Brooke wore a black dress that went wroud her shoulders, it hugged her nicely curvy body but it wasn't tight. It went to her knees and she wore a pair of black heels. Her hair was pulled back in a small bun and she wore red lipstick just like Meemaws. The boys scattered the ashes across the ocean at sunset according to Meemaws wishes.

"I'm goin' back home." Merle said quietly. Daryl nodded and Merle left. Daryl and Brooke walked back into the beach house. Daryl stayed quiet and sat on the couch. Brooke gave him a kiss on the cheek and a glass of water before disappearing. Daryl sat there and thought about what Meemaw said. He did love Brooke. He loved her more than anything. Were Meemaw's words the truth though? Did she love him back? Daryl heard a hiccup coming from Brooke's room and opened the door. She saw her sitting in a chair with some tissues in her hands. She didn't wear mascara, just some eye shadow and eyeliner so it didn't run down her face. She looked up at him and hung her head down.

"I didn't want you to see me like this." She said quietly. Daryl went over to her.

"She's in a better place." He said.

"It's not that Daryl." She replied. He gave her a confused look. "If I had just put my hair in a pony tail or didn't do my makeup, maybe she would be alive. I can't help but think that if I hadn't had taken so long, she would be alive. I would've been there to help her. I can't help but think that she would be alive right now if it wasn't for me." He could see her bottom lip quiver and she buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm… so… sorry." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Brook really thought she was responsible for Meemaw's death. He made her stand up and he buried his face into the crook of her neck. He looked into her eyes and held her head. His thumbs stroked her cheeks away from the tears.

"Brooke, listen to me. You didn't cause Meemaws death. Her heart wasn't strong enough and no one could change that." He said.

"I must seem so selfish." She said and looked down at the ground. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing Brooke." Daryl finally said. "You did nothing wrong. You're not selfish. Trust me, you're perfect." Daryl sighed and lifted her face to look at his. "You're perfect in every way." He said more to himself than to her. He saw in her face the look that Meemaw was talking about. He knew she loved him too. "Brooke." He said. "I love you." She looked at him, not with a look of shock, but more a look of pure happiness. She didn't smile but simply stared into his eyes.

"I love you too, Daryl." She said. He slowly moved his head towards hers and they kissed. This time, there were no interruptions. This time, the kiss wasn't a simple thank you. This time, it was love. The kiss became more passionate and he went to unzip her dress. She went to unbutton his shirt.

"Do you want to do this?" he asked. "I don't want to pressure you."

"I do." Brooke said and her dress fell to the ground. They moved over to the bed and continued. After that, Daryl knew she was his. She had finally gotten the girl he had been chasing for eleven years. Brooke had gotten the guy she had been in love with since she was fifteen. Nothing could change that they finally had each other.

Daryl stopped putting pick axes though what he was doing and looked over at Brooke. He needed to talk to her and he needed to do it fast. He loved Brooke and he needed to reassure her that he would never leave her and that he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He needed to tell her all these things that were built up inside before it was too late. Daryl heard a muffled yell and Brooke immediately ran over to Jim. Shane lifted his shirt. Jim had been bit. He could see Brooke's face fall. He walked over to the group with the pick axe.

"What do we do about Jim?" Shane asked.

"I say we put a pick axe through his head." Daryl said and Rick gave him a pointed look.

"We don't kill the living." He said.

"He's gonna turn into a walker!" Daryl said. "We're gonna have to kill him anyway. He felt the pick axe being taken from his hands and heard a thump. They all looked to see Brooke. She had thrown the pick axe away towards the dead bodies that he was working on earlier.

"We don't kill the living." She repeated and helped Jacqui put Jim in the RV. Daryl went back over to the bodies and picked up the axe. He was about to hit Ed the Wife Beater in the head but Carol came over before he could.

"I'll do it." She said. "He was my husband." He handed her the pick axe and she hit him repeatedly in the head.

"Is this what Mom wanted to do to Dad?" He thought. They heard a gunshot and saw Andrea with Amy still in her arms. Only this time there was a bullet through Amy's temple. They put the bodies into the graves that Jim had dug. They had a small service and after Rick and Shane went into the woods Rick announced they were going to the CDC the next day.

No one ate that night. No one could after what happened. Brooke sat in tent, holding her mother's cross with her thumb and index figure. She had blank eyes and was still thinking about what happened. Jim had gone to sleep but was throwing up every few minutes. He couldn't even keep water down. Rudy stayed with Jim so that he would have some company. She sat in her long, purple, PJ pants, and white cami. Daryl walked into the tent and sat in front of her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just lost in thought I guess." She shrugged.

"Brooke, I need to talk to you." He said.

"Alright, shoot." She said.

"A week before the outbreak we started dating. We told each other that we loved each other." He said. "I want that to continue because I don't know what will happen." Brooke bit her bottom lip and thought. He leaned in and kissed her. She didn't hesitate and kissed him back. He gently pushed her back onto the cot and they continued on. They made love but neither of them went to sleep afterwards. Brooke thought about what she had to say to him. Her head and her left hand rested on his chest while his were on her shoulder and hip. After a long silence she finally broke it.

"Daryl I was scared." She admitted.

"About what?" he asked.

"About everything. When I first came to the camp I prayed that you were here. When I saw you, all I wanted to do was tell you how much I missed you and loved you but I was so scared. I was a coward. I thought that if we did continue our relationship the way it had just become then I would lose you too early and it would just be even more difficult to go through. I'm still scared to do be with you because I'm so afraid that I'll lose you." She silently cried and hoped Daryl wouldn't notice. He sat up but still held her. He moved her in front of him and held her close with his chest pressing against hers.

"I'm scared too." He admitted. "But I need you Brooke. I need you to be with me through this. I know it will be hard but I know we can do it." He kissed her lips firmly and hugged her. "I love you so much Brooke."

"I love you too Daryl." She said.

"Come on, we need to get some sleep." He said and she nodded. They laid back down and they almost immediately went to sleep. They knew that they would be there for each other. They knew deep down that they could live in this new, strange, world.