Chapter 12, waheeey! This is a long Chapter, I'm pretty impressed that I managed to do it all this morning! I hope you all enjoy it, it took me a while to get it all right :)
Lydia: You must have read my mind! I was thinking the same thing, Daryl should be more protective in the way he speaks, but I thought I'm going to build up to it, and then BOOM in the third series when they're at the prison it's like Dinosaur Daryl :D I'm glad you're enjoying it!
To all my other lovely people who have written a review: I love you all to absolute pieces, I love love love reading your comments and reviews! I'm so so so glad you are all enjoying this!
Hopefully I will have a new chapter up tonight, over here in the UK it's the season finale tonight, I am BUZZING! I even kept back a whole easter egg just so I could have chocolate and tea while I watch it, hahaha! Love you all and hope you're okay!
Elly xxx
Callie could do no more than stand and stare at Dale's limp, lifeless body. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. Daryl handed Rick's gun back and walked over to her, gently pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear as her eyes stayed glued to his body.
She had seen him only hours ago. The thought of everything sunk in as she felt Daryl pick her up gently and carry her off, and her head swum with thoughts. She didn't notice her cheeks were sodden with tears until Daryl wiped them away.
"What's up" he asked gently, sitting down next to her in the tent. "This. This whole thing. What are we even doing?" she asked, tears falling down her cheeks and a lump rising in her throat. Daryl looked at her confused, and she sniffed.
"What is there out there for any of us? There's just those things, there's nothing else. I don't wanna spend the rest of my life hiding in fear that someone else might be ripped away as easily as Dale was" she sobbed out.
Daryl pulled her in tightly as she tried to stop crying. "There's hope out there. Somewhere, there's somewhere out there. No one else is gonna be taken from you, I promise" Daryl said, and Callie snuggled into his chest.
Her eyes were droopy from all the crying, and the warmth from Daryl's body against her own made her sleepy. Her eyes drooped shut, and she fell into a deep sleep cuddled in the arms of the only person who she felt safe with.
When Callie woke up, the tent was completely empty. She quickly pulled on her khaki jumpsuit and boots and headed out to find no one outside. She frowned and Dixie sleepily walked next to her, still waking up from his long nap. She smiled down at him and looked into the distance.
She jogged down to camp, Dixie jumping up at dragonflies that hovered in the haze, and wandered over to Carol. "Have you seen Daryl?" Callie asked. "Yeah, he went off with Shane, Andrea and T-Dog to find the group that Randall was talking about" she answered.
"I missed Dale's funeral didn't I?" Callie asked quietly. "You had a bad night, Daryl said you had seizures almost all night. You needed your rest" Carol said, and Callie's heart sunk a little. "Is he with everyone else?" she asked, and Carol nodded.
Callie walked over to the burial site they had made, and sat down in front of the fresh grave for Dale. "Hey Dale... I'm so sorry I missed your funeral. I feel awful. I don't know if you can hear me, or if you are watching us from up there, but if you are, please know that we all miss you. We all loved you, regardless of what happened. Well maybe not Shane, but who loves him right?" Callie said, with a little laugh.
"Anyway, I just thought you should know, we loved you Dale. We'll never forget you, and say hi to Jacqui for me. I'm sure you two are having a great catch up, and one day I hope I get to join you" she continued. She smiled and patted the earth in front of her, before standing up and walking away slowly.
She looked over at the road and saw a car pulling up into the drive near the house. She jogged over and watched as the small group got out of the car and walked over to the camp. Callie jogged up to Daryl and threw her arms around his neck.
He pulled her in close, hugging her tight. "You okay?" he asked, and she nodded into his shoulder. "I love you, Daryl" she said, and he pulled away. "I love you too" he said, holding her face in both hands and pressing his lips against hers.
The two of them walked over to the group in the camp, and Hershel stood by Rick. "It's gonna be tight, 14 people in one house" Rick said, and Hershel scoffed a little.
"Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening and the creek drying up..." Hershel said. "With 50 cattle on the property we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell" Maggie finished, and Daryl kept Callie close.
"She's right. We should have moved you in a while ago" Hershel said, looking down at the floor. Shane looked over at Callie, and she shuffled uncomfortably under his stare. Daryl noticed and glared back at Shane, pulling Callie in closer and keeping one eye on Shane at all times.
"All right let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out toward the road. We'll build a lookout on the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sight lines both sides of the property" Rick said. "T-Dog you take perimeter around the house, keep track of everyone coming and going" he continued.
Callie moved off to get her bag which Daryl had brought down with him, and flung it over her shoulder with her bow and arrows. She smiled at the sight of them, wondering why she hadn't used them in so long.
"I'll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there for a few days if need be" Hershel said, carrying boxes towards the house. Callie picked up her own bags and started to head towards the house with Carol, noticing Daryl watching her as she walked off.
"This is gonna be nice, I can help cook in a proper kitchen again" Carol said, and Callie smiled. She walked into the house and placed her belongings down on the floor by the corner of the room, getting everything out and settling everything down. Daryl walked in and put his own stuff down before heading back out the door again.
Callie helped everyone get their stuff in the house and packed away neatly, as so not to cause any mess or angst between the group. Callie looked outside the window and saw Daryl and Rick looking around for something. She put down her box and wiped her hands, clicking her tongue and walking out with Dixie.
"What's wrong?" Lori asked worriedly. "Randall's missing" Glenn answered, and Callie's eyes met Daryl's as everyone muddled their words together. "Rick! Rick!" Everyone turned to see Shane storming through the tree's his face covered in blood. Daryl stepped towards Callie, pushing her behind him.
"What happened?" Lori called out. "He's armed. He's got my gun." Shane shouted back. "Are you okay?" Carl asked. "I'm fine, little bastard snuck up on me, clocked me in the face" Shane said.
"Alright Hershel, T-Dog get everybody back in the house. Glenn, Daryl come with us" Rick said. Daryl armed his crossbow ready to leave, but Callie pulled on his arm gently. "I don't want you to go" she said softly. "I have to, make sure you stay safe" he said, and nudged her int he direction of the house.
He gave T-Dog a gentle nod, and T-Dog pulled on Callie's arm, taking her to the house. Daryl turned and walked off with the others, and Callie stood helplessly as he walked into what she knew was a bad idea.
It was getting dark and Daryl still wasn't back. Callie was biting at the side of her thumb nail, anxious as to where he was. "He'll be okay" Carol said, wrapping an arm around Callie's shoulder. Callie smiled and rested her head on Carol's, her eyes still glued to the darkness in hope she might see him.
She heard the door open and Daryl and Glenn walked in. Before he did anything else, Daryl pulled Callie up and held her close, pushing on the small of her back. "Rick and Shane aint back?" he asked.
"No" Lori answered. "We heard a shot" Daryl said, and Callie pulled away. Daryl kept one arm around her waist protectively as Lori answered. "Maybe they found Randall" she said. "We found him" Daryl said. "Is he back in the shed?" Maggie asked. "He's a walker" Daryl answered.
"Did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked, and Callie looked up at Daryl for a response. "No, the weird thing is, he wasn't bit" Glenn answered. "His neck was broke" Daryl said, and Callie frowned lightly. Dixie started whining and snarling at the sound of a walker,so Callie gently shushed him.
"So he fought back" Lori said. "The thing is, Shane and Randall's tracks were right on top of each other. And Shane aint no tracker,so he didn't come up behind him. They were together" Daryl said, and Callie sighed a little.
"Would you please go back out there and find Rick and Shane and find out what an earth is going on?" Lori asked. "You got it" Daryl answered, and moved away, still holding on to Callie's waist with one arm.
They got into the porch and Daryl pushed Callie back as they're eyes looked over a swarm of walkers heading for the barn. Callie's hand instinctively hovered over her knife, and it gently brushed the bow on her back. Dixie snarled at her feet, his fur standing up on end at the sight of so many walkers.
"Patricia, kill the lights" Hershel whispered. "I'll get the guns" Andrea said, walking back inside the house. Daryl stayed standing in front of Callie, her peeping over his shoulder and swallowing hard at the expanding herd ahead of them.
"Maybe they'll just pass like the ones on the highway. Should we just go inside?" Glenn asked, standing behind Callie. He held on to one of her shoulders, and she could feel his hand shaking.
"Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs I don't know about. A herd that size would rip the house down" Daryl answered. Dixie snarled and growled again, and she kept him held back with one foot as they watched the herd head towards the barn.
"Carls gone" Lori said, and Callie felt her hairs stand up on the back of her neck. "What?" Daryl asked, turning around but not moving from his spot in front of Callie. "He was upstairs and now I can't find him anymore" Lori flustered. "Maybe he's hiding" Glenn answered.
"He's supposed to be upstairs, I'm not leaving without my boy" Lori said, and Callie felt a mixture of anger and adrenaline rush through her body. "We're not, we're gonna look again and we're gonna find him" Carol said, taking Lori's hand and walking her inside.
Andrea placed the gun down on the floor and handed shotguns out. Maggie handed Glenn a shotgun, keeping one in her own hand. "Maggie" Glenn started. "You grow up in the country you learn a thing or two" Maggie said, and Glenn looked over at Callie in shock. Callie smiled back impressed at the sudden change.
"I got the number, it's no use" Daryl said. "You can go if you want" Hershel said, and Glenn handed Callie her whole set of hunting knives, with a whole bag of extras. She frowned at him and he pointed to the writing he had put on it - extras you don't have to go back for. Callie opened the bag to find it was full of knives, all different sizes. She smiled in thanks and clipped more onto her belt.
"You gonna take 'em all on?" Daryl asked, nodding his head towards the herd. "We have guns, we have cars" Hershel said, cocking his gun. "Kill as many as we can and then use the cars to lead the rest away from the farm" Andrea said.
"You serious?" Daryl asked, his hand finding Callie's in the dark. "This is my farm, I'll die here" Hershel said. "All right. It's a good a night as any" Daryl said, and jumped over the porch, Callie following.
"Uh-uh, you're staying here" Daryl said, pushing her back. "No I'm not" Callie answered. "Yes you are. I aint havin' you goin' out there, you're stayin' here" Daryl said, and before Callie could argue back he pressed one finger against her lips.
Dixie stayed by her side and growled, his lips pulled back over his teeth as he snarled towards the barn. "I'll come get you when it's done" Daryl said, and nudged Callie back towards the house. She rolled her eyes and sighed, jogging back to the others who were all getting in the cars to lure the walkers away.
"Call" Andrea shouted, and Callie ran up to the truck her and T-Dog were in, jumping in the back. "You gotta gun?" Andrea asked, and Callie shook her head. "I don't need one" Callie said, and she spilled the rest of the bag of knives from Glenn on the back of the truck. "Sure you can hit 'em when we're driving" Andrea asked.
"I'm gonna have to" Callie said, and hauled Dixie in next to her. The car drove towards the walkers, driving next to them so the girls had a clear shot. Andrea shot each walker as she drove past, and Callie took down the others she had missed. The whole field was a warzone, filled with walkers and the shots from the guns as everyone tried desperately to cling on to the last safety they had.
Callie noticed that Carl was with Rick, and she had a sudden urge to find Lori and tell her where he was. "Here,you're gonna need this" Callie shouted to Andrea, handing her a handful of ammo. "Where are you going?" Andrea shouted back, and Callie jumped off the back of the truck, Dixie leaping off after her.
Callie looked back to see Dixie, and she started to head for the house, taking down walkers easily with each of the spares that Glenn had given her. Dixie took down a few of his own, jumping on their torsos and pushing them down so they were out of the way. "Callie" she heard Glenn call, and he opened the car door next to her.
"Get in" he said, and Callie flung herself into the back seat, Dixie following behind her. Callie sat in the back of the car and buried her head into Dixie's fur, quietly sobbing, blanking everything out. The car was driving, she didn't know where to, but she didn't care.
For all she knew, she had lost Daryl. Her heart sunk again like the first time she saw his house empty, the knowledge she might never find him again. She tried to remember if she had seen him before the car drove away, but her mind was swimming with memories of the night everything blurred into one.
"Where are we going?" she finally asked, and looked up at Glenn who was driving. "The highway. That's where everyone else will go" he answered. Callie wiped her eyes and sat up, watching out the window as they drove down the highway. She heard something behind her, and turned to see the truck behind them.
Glenn pulled up and opened the door to get out. Callie flung open her door and ran towards Daryl, throwing herself at him, not even waiting until he was fully standing up. Dixie jumped up at the two of them as they clung to each other like their lives depended on it.
"Where did you find everyone?" Rick asked, and Callie buried herself into Daryls chest. "Well those guys tail lights zigzagging all over the road, figured he had to be Asian driving like that" Daryl answered, and Callie smiled.
"Good one" Glenn said. "Where's the rest of us?" Daryl asked, pulling Callie in closer. "We're the only ones who made it so far"Rick answered and Callie's smile faded as she gripped onto Daryl's shirt. Daryl nuzzled his head into Callie's as the rest of the group talked.
"Thought you were with T-Dog" he mumbled softly in her ear. "I was. Then I went to find Lori" Callie answered, and Daryl pulled away. "You mean you were out there on your own" he asked, and she nodded. Daryl took a step towards T-Dog, an angry look sweeping across his face.
Callie kept one arm fixed around his, and pulled him back shaking her head. He looked from her to T-Dog, who was chatting with the group, and stood back, still glaring at him.
"We gotta keep moving. There've been walkers crawling all over here" Rick said. "I say head east" T-Dog said, and Daryl moved forwards. "Stay off the main roads. The bigger the road, the more walkers, the more assholes like this one. I got him" Daryl said, and aimed his crossbow at the walker, shooting it in the eye.
Everyone started to pile into cars, gathering what they found on the highway and putting it into cars. "You're comin' with me" Daryl said, glaring at T-Dog and pulling Callie over with him. She smiled as she sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her head into his back.
The familiar sound of his bike rung through her ears, and she watched as Dixie jumped into the car next to Carl. She smiled and Carl smiled back, scratching behind Dixie's ear. The group started off on their journey towards a new place, and Callie nearly fell asleep with the warmth from Daryl's body pressing against hers.
She was jolted awake by a tooting of a horn, and Daryl came to a stop. Callie hopped off the back of the bike and Daryl stood behind her, wrapping both arms around her and interlocking his hands at her stomach. "You out?" he asked.
"Running on fumes" Rick answered. "We can't stay here" Maggie said quietly. "We can't all fit in one car" Glenn said, and Callie looked at Rick. He looked exhausted, tired of everyone looking to him for answers. "We'll have to go on a run for some gas in the morning" he said.
"Spend the night here?" Carol asked. "I'm freezing" Carl said, shuddering in his jumper. "We'll build a fire, yeah" Lori said. "If you go out looking for firewood, stay close. Only got so many arrows, how you doing on ammo" Daryl said. "Not enough" Rick answered, and Callie shuddered in the cold.
"We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out" Maggie said. "Watch your mouth. Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick" Hershel said. Callie snickered at his fatherly-ness of telling Maggie off, and Daryl gently nudged her to be quiet.
"All right, we'll set up a the morning we'll find gas and supplies. We'll keep pushing on" Rick said. "Glenn and I can go on a run now, try and scrounge up some gas" Maggie said, and Callie winked saucily at Glenn. She snickered again as he went bright red, and she smiled at him fondly.
"No, we stay together. God forbid if something happens and people are stranded without a car." Rick said. "Rick we're stranded now" Glenn said, stepping forwards. "I know it looks bad, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other. I wasn't sure, I really wasn't but we did. We're together, we keep it that way" Rick said, and Daryl tightened his grip on Callie.
Callie rested her head back on Daryls shoulder, warming up a little with his body heat against hers. "We've gotta find shelter, there's gotta be some place" Rick said. "Rick, look around. There's walkers everywhere, they're migrating or something" Glenn said softly. "There's gotta be a place not just where we can hole up, where we can fortify" Rick said.
Callie turned around and pushed her head into Daryl's shoulder. She didn't like the no hope attitude of everyone, and it made her mood dampen. She tried not to listen as they argued about where to go, instead, she concentrated on the sound of Daryl's heart beating under her ear.
She listened to the sound of him breathing, she watched his chest rise and fall. She felt the vibration through his chest as he spoke, but she didn't hear the words. "We're all infected" she heard Rick say, and she looked up at him, her heart racing.
"What?" Daryl asked, astounded like the rest of the group, his grip even tighter around Callie's body. "At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, we all carry it." Rick said. Callie's stomach flipped in remembrance of Jacqui, and the news made her stomach flutter.
Hershel walked up to her and looked into her eyes, and she looked back and nodded. "Rick, I think we should go over there now. Do what you said, Callie needs to be somewhere safe right now" Hershel said, and Daryl hooked his arms under her legs.
He placed Callie on the floor, and she looked up at him, hearing Dixie whine and feeling him nip at her, before everything went black. She woke up in Daryl's arms, her body protesting as she shuffled about. Everyone was sitting by a fire, trying to keep warm, each with a sullen face. Callie smiled sleepily at Glenn who looked over at her worriedly, and he smiled back.
Callie closed her eyes again, cuddling into Daryl's arms and saying a silent prayer, hoping they would find somewhere safe, and soon.