I'm baaack.
I like this one, so I'm not going to say much here. But, I ill say that I bumped up the rating just to be safe, and will warn you that there will be non-con later in this story, but I won't describe it because I physically cannot do that.
Anyway, I don't own TWD yadda yadda yadda.
Enjoy!
"So I guess we know the range of these things now." Michonne commented, tossing the radio onto the bed.
"Guess so." Rick sighed, continuing to stare out the window.
"She's not going to be back until later." Michonne stood up, placing a hand on Rick's shoulder. "You can't stare out the window all day."
"I know…" Rick sighed again. "I'm a worrier." He smirked slightly as he turned around, quoting her words.
"Yes you are." Michonne smiled in agreement. "And you should focus some of that worrying on him." She nodded in the direction of a sleeping Carl.
"I'm trying to distract myself from worrying about him."
"Well, you shouldn't. She can take care of herself. He can't right now."
"But-"
"No." Michonne looked Rick sternly in the eye. "She's safer than him right now."
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD
Blake's wrists were tied in front of her with rope that was rubbing her skin raw. Daryl had taken her bag and slung it onto his own shoulder over the machine gun, and put the machete and the radio in the bag. He held his crossbow in one hand while firmly planting the other just above Blake's right elbow, making sure she didn't run.
Blake kept her head down slightly, staring at the ground ahead of her. The group of men was travelling in the opposite direction they needed to be, and had been at it for four hours. She hated every step that took her further away from her group, and her mind was racing a mile a minute trying to figure a way out of her current situation.
Blake noticed that Daryl stayed at the back of the group, behind the group actually. He was clearly the outsider, probably a new member. It was obvious to Blake that Daryl wasn't dangerous, not like the rest of them. It was almost as if he was protecting her from them. She wished he would just let her go.
Daryl looked down at the teenager in his grasp; she felt his eyes and looked up at him, a slightly angry expression on her face. He felt awful for taking her with him, probably scaring the shit out of her-although it didn't seem like it-but he knew that if he hadn't claimed her, the others would've done unspeakable things to her. He couldn't let that happen, she was just a kid for Christ's sake! Daryl hadn't been with these people long, but he could tell they were horrible. He was planning on leaving when they had picked up this girl's tracks and started following them.
Blake looked away from Daryl, continuing to form her escape plan as they followed the rest of the group up the middle of the road.
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD
At noon, Rick was worried that Blake hadn't contacted them.
"Maybe the batteries in her radio died." Michonne had said, trying to reassure her friend and cover up her own slight concern.
By three, Carl had woken up and asked how far she was. Neither had an answer.
By sunset, Rick was pacing the floor, Michonne was staring at the radio, and Carl was sitting at the end of the bed, leaning against the wrought iron footboard and staring out the window.
"Where the hell is she?" Rick asked no one in particular.
"Something happened." Carl wiped sweat off of his head and shivered, pulling the blanket around his shoulders closer to his body in an attempt to get warm. "She wouldn't abandon us."
"I know." Rick sighed, continuing to pace. He hadn't been implying that Blake would run off on her own.
"Should I go after her?" Michonne suggested.
"Not now, not in the dark." Rick responded, wanting nothing more than to go after her himself. But he knew that would be dangerous and irresponsible. "If she's not back by sunset tomorrow I will."
"She just got held up somewhere." Carl slurred, exhaustion getting the better of him. "She'll be back tomorrow."
Rick stopped pacing for a moment to look out the window, taking in the darkening landscape before him, a thick blanket of guilt settling over his heart. "I hope so."
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD
Blake dozed in and out of a light sleep, trying to rest. She knew escape wasn't possible now, the group had a rotating watch shift so she couldn't get up and walk away. Plus, Daryl and attached the rope that bound her to his own wrist, rendering her unable to go more than four feet from him.
After a few hours, Blake fell into a restless, exhaustion induced sleep, but woke to rough fabric being forced into her mouth. Confused and disoriented, Blake couldn't respond to her surroundings until the man began to drag her away from the camp, but before she could think about struggling, he pressed a gun to her head. Blake complied, knowing he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger, and stood up without a sound, the rope attaching her to Daryl having already been cut.
The man had a vice grip around the teen's arm, she could feel the bruise forming already. He also kept the gun on her head, so she kept quiet as he led her into the woods.
After about three minutes of walking, they came upon a small clearing. The man holstered his gun and abruptly shoved Blake to the ground, pinning her beneath him before she could fight back. She screamed through the gag, but the sound barely made it past her lips due to the thick rag. She could hear a belt buckle being undone and an icicle of fear ran through her spine, making her squirm under the man's weight.
The man leaned down, shushing her gently, which made her feel like her stomach was being twisted in knots. She had never felt this kind of fear before.
Suddenly, her face was sprayed with something warm and sticky. It took Blake a moment to realise that it was blood and the man had fallen to the side, off of her. Blake quickly rolled out from under her attacker, ripping the rag out of her mouth and throwing it aside, breathing hard. She looked up to see Daryl standing above the body, pulling his arrow out of the man's head. He then quickly pulled out his knife and sliced her bonds, freeing her hands.
Blake stared up at Daryl, shocked. He had just saved her from what would have been the worst experience of her life. Blake didn't know this man, but she jumped up, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
Daryl wasn't expecting the girl to launch herself, at him, and awkwardly hugged her back with one arm for a few seconds before she released her grip. Daryl handed the teen her gun and machete, which she quickly slid into its holster keeping the gun in her hands.
"This way." She mouthed, leading Daryl in the direction of home.
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD
The two ran until the sun came up, zigzagging through the trees to confuse Joe and the others if they tried to follow. When the first sign of light hit, Blake stumbled to her knees, breathless. Daryl fell down right beside her, breathing hard.
"Thank you." Blake choked out, realising she hadn't said that yet.
Daryl waved it off, literally. He waved his hand, unable to speak.
The two laid on the forest floor for a few minutes until they could breathe properly and feel their legs again.
"Come on." Blake got to her feet. "I need to get back to my people."
"Which way?" Daryl asked, slightly disoriented form their midnight, zigzagging run.
Blake peered up at the rising sun to orient herself and started off, Daryl falling into step beside her.
"What's your name?" Daryl asked, realising he didn't know it.
"Blake." She answered, knowing she could trust this man.
"What're the pills for?" Daryl had seen the content of the bag when he had taken it.
"My friend is sick. He got shot and the wound is infected. I should have been back yesterday."
"Sorry 'bout that. Woulda left sooner if I could."
"It's not your fault." The two fell into a comfortable silence, neither knowing what to say. But there was a question poking the back of Blake's brain.
"Why did you protect me?" She asked. "You don't even know me."
"I know someone who has a kid your age." Daryl shrugged, thinking about Rick and Carl. "Saw you and thought about them. What Rick woulda felt like if it was-"
"Wait." Blake interrupted, looking up at Daryl. "Rick Grimes?"
Daryl nodded and a smile found its way onto Blake's lips.
"I'm with Rick, Carl and Michonne." Blake explained, speeding up a bit, now wanting to get back that much faster. "Were you at the prison with them?"
"Yeah." Daryl was amazed. Some of his people were alive! "Didn't know if anyone else made it out."
"They said the same thing."
"Wait." Daryl remembered. "You said someone as shot. Who?"
Blake's smile melted. "Carl."
"Shit, again?"
"Again?" Blake asked.
"Few years back, in the beginning of all this, some idiot got him in a huntin' accident."
"I didn't know that…"
Blake trailed off as the sound of walkers approaching filled the air. She groaned, sliding the strap of her machine gun over her shoulder and pulling out her machete, ready to take down whatever came out of the shadows.
Yay Daryl's finally here!
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