Every Scar Has a Story
Summary:
She was a fighter, a rebel, an individual in every way the word means. She became his best, and only, friend. She understood him without asking questions and knew him better than his own brother. Every scar they earned had a story behind it, a story of how they grew together and their relationship became something undefined. They were friends. They were family. Yet, they were so much more. They were simply themselves; Daryl Dixon, a member of the town's most troubled family, and Rayne Michaels, a rebel with the heart of gold.
This is their story.
Author's Note:
This story starts out before the outbreak of Walkers. I want to give the readers an understanding of how Daryl and Rayne grow together before shit hit the fan. Their story is told through each scar they earn, most of them Rayne's as she tends to get into a lot of difficult situations. This will be told in Daryl's third person point of view as he tries to struggle with understanding his new, odd friend. Leave reviews and let me know what you think.
Chapter Thirteen
Family
A familiar warmth wrapping around him pulls Daryl from his slumber. Blinking away the sleep from his eyes, he glances down at the woman in his arms. Curling her short hair around his finger, the rich, vibrant color brings a flash flood of memories. A whole year. A whole year without his girl by his side. A whole year of the desolation and loss filling his heart. His thoughts drift to the past year. How Glenn seemed to drown himself in Maggie's presence, trying to forget losing a woman that was practically his sister. How he tried to escape, pulling away from the group. The only person that seemed to truly understand his loss had been Rick, allowing him his space to heal. Carol tried, but her sympathetic conversations only reminded him of Sophia, which brought back the torrent of emotions with Rayne's memory.
He drops a kiss to her forehead, inhaling her scent once more. He didn't want to leave her side, but he had seen the dark circles under her eyes, her weariness hidden behind the excitement of reuniting. Deciding to give her time to rest, he removes himself from her arms to get ready for the day. With one last glance, he slips out of the cell, the early morning cricket chirps filling the air, telling him most would probably be asleep. Making his way up the stairs to the guard tower, he pauses at the sight of Sophia and a boy he hasn't meant yet. Both of the teens seemed content, the silence surrounding them. Tilting his head, Daryl takes in the image of Sophia. The once small, timid blonde girl from last year was gone. Her eyes watched the Walkers with a sturdy gaze, her body relaxed and almost serene.
"Are you alright, So-So?" the boy asks, his head turning to the quiet girl, "You haven't been yourself since we arrived."
Sophia sighs, her arms hanging over one of the bars, her forehead resting against the bar above it, "I thought...things would be different. When Mama looks at me, I feel like she still sees me as the kid I was last year. It's...hard. I've tried telling her I can hold my own, but she seems to ignore it. Hell, Carl is younger than I am and Officer Rick lets him walk around with a gun and the keys to this whole place."
"Hey, don't be so hard on her," the dark-haired boy sighs, running his fingers through his unkempt hair, "and don't let Auntie Ray hear you cussing like that," Daryl holds back the reflexive snort at the idea of Rayne trying to keep some kid from swearing. He remembers her cussin' like a sailor when she was the boy's age. Hearing him address his girl as 'Auntie Ray' he realizes this must be Nick, her nephew. "Look, So-So. Your Mama thought she lost you. She's going to try and hold on as tight as possible. Just...let her take comfort in realizing that you are actually here."
"I know," Sophia sighs, her forehead dropping down to the bar her arms are hanging over, "I want her to know I ain't scared no more. I want her to know that I'm not the same girl."
"Give it time, So-So," the boy suggests, rubbing her back gently, "You'll show your stripes at some point."
"You know, Mama said she misses the noise that the world used to have," Sophia glances over at her friend, her words causing Daryl to tilt his head curiously, "I don't think I do. It's so much easier to think."
"Sorry, So-So, but I'm going to agree with your Mama. I miss going to the Underground with Uncle Topher, the loud music and the screaming audiences. I miss being able to ride with the windows down and speakers blaring," the boy chuckles, shaking his head, "Do you think the group will be upset if I get out my guitar? I haven't played in awhile."
Sophia giggles, her hands moving to her lips, "You think we can get Ray bouncing her way around the room while she's in the process of loading a gun? I didn't think it was possible before then."
"Ray's known fer doin' alota things that seem impossible," Daryl comments, causing Sophia to flash him a wide smile, but the boy drops his gaze. "Hey, Soph, ya mind goin' inside. Yer Mama's gonna wake up in a little while and I don't think any o'us wanna watch her runnin' 'round like a rabid animal."
Sophia giggles, dropping a kiss to the boy's cheek before standing up. She pauses in front of Daryl, her arms wrapping around his torso, "I'm glad to see you, Daryl," Her eyes flicker with guilt before she drops her gaze, her forehead pressing against his stomach, "I always blamed myself for Ray being so sad."
Daryl taps the girl on the top of her head, pulling her attention back to him, "Now, listen here, sweetheart. There ain't a single soul on this defective planet that can make a woman like Ray do anythin' she ain't wantin' ta do. She chose ta go after ya, knowin' that she might not make it back. Don't let yerself think any different. Now," Daryl playfully shove her toward the tower exit, "get yer ass back to yer Mama."
Sophia nods before she disappears. Chewing on his thumbnail, Daryl tries to brush off the air of the awkwardness surrounding himself and the boy. Leaning against the guard box, he is surprised when the boy holds up a pack of smokes. Taking the whole pack from the kid, Daryl takes a long drag from the cigarette, feeling himself relax.
"Why are ya goin' 'round carryin' these?" Daryl asks.
The boy snorts in good-nature, "Auntie Ray can be...scatterbrained sometimes. Half the time, I end up carrying stuff just because I know at some point, she'll forget her own," The boy pauses, bringing his light brown eyes toward Daryl, "So, you're Daryl Dixon?"
"Yeah," Daryl nods, "Yer Ray's nephew, right?" When the boy nods, Daryl takes another drag from the cigarette, "Sorry 'bout yer old man."
"I miss him somewhat, but I'm alright with it," Daryl cocks an eyebrow as the boy pauses, and as if sensing the morbid curiosity, the boy continues, "Dad wasn't a bad parent. He tried to understand. Tried with all his might. Auntie Ray understands more than he ever did and...it's comforting."
"Yeah, she has that habit," Daryl agrees, chuckling to himself as he takes another drag.
Nick nods absentmindedly, "It's why Dad gave me named me after Auntie Ray and Great Aunt Nicole. Raymond Nikola Michaels. The first time we spoke, she said we were going to have a fight on our hands trying to figure out who gets to be nicknamed Ray," Daryl snorts, his girl not the type to change in her constant bantering and teasing of others, "So...I feel obligated to say if you ever hurt Auntie Ray, I'll feed you to the Walkers myself."
Daryl lets out a bark of laughter, clapping his hand on the kid's back, "I have a feelin' the two o'us are gonna be gettin' along just fine. Can't exactly disagree. If I ever catch sumone hurtin' my woman, Imma tell ya that the Walkers won't get to them fast enough."
Nick lets out his own chuckle and a comfortable silence falls over the two. Smiling at the back of the kid's head, Daryl turns his gaze to the slowly brightening sky. Just as much balls as his Aunt, insulting a grown ass man like himself.
Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?
Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck?
Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?
I'll show you mine if you show me yours first
Let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse
Let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words
Daryl knows he is staring. He also knows he isn't the only one. He can feel a small smile tug at his lips, his eyes soft as he watches along with the rest of the group as the voices of Rayne and Nick harmonized, Nick's fingers dragging the pick along the strings of his acoustic guitar. Seeing the serene gleam in Nick's gaze as he looks over at his Aunt, who flashes him a broad grin, Daryl feels his chest grow warm. An odd feeling. One that he usually associates with Rayne only, but seeing the deep familiar bond between the two, Daryl wonders if it is time to accept another member to their family.
We live on front porches and swing life away,
We get by just fine here on minimum wage
If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,
I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand
I've been here so long, I think that it's time to move
The winter's so cold, summer's over too soon
Let's pack our bags and settle down where palm trees grow
I've got some friends, some that I hardly know
But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world
We chase these days down with talks of the places that we will go
We live on front porches and swing life away,
We get by just fine here on minimum wage
If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,
I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand...until you hold my hand
I'll show you mine if you show me yours first
Let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse
Let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words
We live on front porches and swing life away,
We get by just fine here on minimum wage
If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,
I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand
As the song comes to an end, the entire group succumbs to a loud round of applause. Nick ducks his head, a look of embarrassment spreading across his face as he rubs the back of his neck. Rayne lets out a laugh, ruffling his hair playfully before she stands up, instinctively brushing off her pants.
"I think I have the coolest nephew ever," Rayne teases, causing Nick to grow more red, laughter filling the air around them.
Daryl meets her eyes, winking at her. It is definitely good to have her back. Her natural charisma, the way she seems to effortlessly take their minds off of the outside world, is a welcomed sight. He wonders if things would have happened differently on the farm if she had been there. Thinking back over it, he mentally snorts. No. If he knows Rayne as well as he does, she would've seen the confrontation between Shane and Rick coming from a mile away and brought it up. Yeah. She probably would've ended up butting heads with Shane, and Andrea for sure. Daryl runs a thumb over his forehead, thankful that it didn't leave a scar. Yeah. Rayne would've went ape shit on the blonde.
"You alright, Daryl?"
Glancing over at Rick, Daryl nods his head curtly, "Yeah. Just wonderin' how things woulda gone if Ray had been at the farm with us."
Hearing Rick snort in laughter, Daryl smirks when the man nods his head, "I think the Walkers would have been the least of our worries, between Shane and Andrea. So, what do you think of the kid?"
"He seems alright. Why ya ask?"
Rick rubs at his jawline, his own gaze seeing Nick blushing as praises are given, "He seems...nervous. I've only seen him look me in the eye once, very briefly. Almost like he's been...conditioned to act this way."
"Ray used to never speak unless spoken to," Daryl comments, earning a sharp look from Rick, "When we first met, I had to be the one ta break the silence. It's the way they were raised, I suppose. They didn't live in a family like any o'us down here," Daryl flashes a small smirk to his friend, "Don't ya worry yerself. The kid will break outta his shell at some point. If not, we can always beat it outta him."
Rick seems to understand the hidden message in his words because Daryl feels the once-Sheriff clap his hand on his shoulder, "You're a good man, Daryl Dixon."
Glaring at Rick, Daryl shoves the man's hand off of him, his playful encounter, "Oh fuck off, Officer Friendly. The kid's family. Sumone's gotta keep an eye on him."
As the day fades into night, Daryl finds himself in the kitchen area, Hershel, Maggie, Glenn and Rick all sitting at the table. He isn't sure why Rayne asked them to get together. Hearing the door open, Rayne walks in with a box in her hand, shaking her head as Rick and Daryl stand to take the box from her. Setting it on a different table, Rayne turns and cracks a smile at them.
"Alright. I understand that Woodbury pretty much declared war on us yesterday and while I'm all for preparing ourselves, I also think we need a moment. I asked each of you in here specifically for important reasons. Hershel, you took care of my people when they had no where to go and I can never thank you enough," Hershel smiles at the young woman, who turns her gaze on Maggie, "You, Maggie, kept Glenn sane and protected him as he protects you. Rick, Glenn and Daryl, the three of you work tirelessly and work yourself to your bones, so tonight, I've decided to do something special for all of you."
Daryl sits upright from his lounging position as she turns back to her box, removing a rather impressive case of beer, setting it on the table in front of them. When Hershel explains about his sobriety, Rayne holds up a finger and pulls out a bottle of sparkling apple cider.
"Where the Hell did ya get this, woman?" Daryl questions, earning a smack along the back of his head.
"I found it in my truck with the things Brayden and Christopher packed away for me. So, Maggie, Gentlemen," Rayne tosses each person a beer can, cracking her own open before raising it in the air, "I will start the toast with my favorite three 'F's'. To Friends, whom I am sharing this with. To Family," Daryl feels her hand drop to his shoulder, "who we would be lost without. And to being Fucked, because when the time comes, we are going to give Woodbury a reason to fear the world."
Cheers and murmurs of agreement sound as each person raise their cans. Daryl glances up from draining half of his beer, meeting his Rayne's gaze before she plops onto his lap. He softly questions why she didn't invite Merle and it earns him a cocked eyebrow before a pointed look is thrown toward Maggie and Glenn. Kissing the back of her neck, he inhales her scent as light-hearted chatter fills the air, surrounding him with a feeling of home.
Leyshla Gisel: I thought it over and felt that it was too cliched of a 'plot twist'. I know. Hell, I can't even begin to guess what happens in the season finale. I serious bawled like a baby over the last episode (and that doesn't happen often) because I felt like Merle was finally putting his brother's welfare before his own.
Amanda: I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Demi187: Thanks!
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