Rocking Chair

SeverusSnape'sLove: I know what you mean. That's how I felt when Shane and the others wanted to kill the walkers in Hershel's barn. It really pissed me off when they killed the walkers. That wasn't their call.

Guest: I can see why you would think that, but I don't think it's going to happen.

ScornedxRose: Thank you, thank you! Here's your update!

Leyshla Gisel: Finally!

Maddy-MarieXO: Oh no! Don't hate Rick

Guest: Here's your update!

0o0o0

I was leaning heavily against the wall beside me when I heard footsteps in the stables. I looked up, waiting for whoever was coming to see me. Rick appeared in front of the stall door. He opened his mouth to speak, but then saw the untouched food on the tray.

"Are you feeling all right, Diana…Corinne?" Rick asked.

"I'm fine." I replied simply, sitting up straighter. "What can I do for you, Sheriff?"

"I…we…came to hear your version of things." Rick explained, his hands on his hips. "Do you feel up to talking about your crimes?"

"Sure." I shrugged. "Why not?"

Rick gave me a confused look, his brow wrinkling.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Rick, I'm fine." I repeated myself firmly. "Now, are you going to let me out?"

Rick gave me a nod before he opened the stall door. I started to get to my feet, but he was there to help me up by the elbow. Rick allowed me out of the stall first. Maggie and Daryl stood across the way in front of the opposite row of stalls. When I emerged, Daryl moved as if he was going to come to me. Maggie whispered something to him, and he stopped. Lori, Andrea, and Carol stood side by side, both with their arms folded over their chests. T-Dog and Glenn were leaned against the same stall door. Hershel and Patricia were just outside of the stall I had been in. Patricia gave me a warm smile.

"You look cold, honey." Patricia said, removing the sweater around her shoulders. "Why don't you put this on, Diana?"

I accepted the sweater. I tugged the sleeves over my arms.

"Thank you." I replied quietly.

"Would you prefer to go by Diana or Corinne?" Rick asked from behind me.

I turned towards him.

"Corinne is fine." I decided, leaving Diana behind.

"All right, Corinne, why don't you start from the beginning?" Rick suggested, leaning against the stall door. "Why did you start killing?"

I turned back around to face the rest of the group. They were all waiting for an explanation.

"My sister was murdered eleven years ago." I started my story, glancing from face to face. "When her murderer was released on bail, I took the law into my own hands. I shot him to death."

I walked past Rick, my back to the group.

"I didn't know what to do, so I ran. I took on a new name, colored my hair, and started a new life. That's when I met a formerly abused woman named Trisha. She taught me everything I know."

"Then what?" Rick asked.

I turned back around.

"I decided that if I couldn't go back to my old life, I would help others who were victimized. Trisha made me feel empowered and capable. Together, she and I killed her abusive ex-husband. After that, I couldn't stay in Las Vegas anymore. I had to assume a new identity, move to a new city…"

I gazed out of the stables and into the sunlight.

"Rachel Glass." I murmured, thinking of my third identity. "As Rachel Glass, I started hanging out in seedy bars in Phoenix, Arizona. Eventually, I got a job waiting tables in a place called Sal's. While I was working there, I got to know the locals. In particular, I got to know a man called Esteban."

I saw the drunken man's face in my head, the constant sorrow in his eyes.

"Two years before, Esteban's twelve year old daughter had been killed by a drunk driver. The driver, Mark Hollis, had a rich daddy. So, even though Mark had a record of driving drunk, his rich daddy was able to make the charges disappear. There was no justice for Esteban's daughter, Julia…not until I was through with him…"

I could see Mark's surprised face plain as day when I plunged the needle into his arm. The array of drugs laid out on the nearby table would serve as an excellent cover. The police would call Mark's death a tragic accident.

"After that, I was Lucy Shepherd." I looked at Rick. "The police connected her to Corinne because of…vomit I missed at the crime scene. You and I both know who Lucy's victim was."

"We don't." Andrea suddenly piped up.

"Victor Channing." I replied, meeting Andrea's eyes. "He was convicted of three rapes, but was released after only six months of jail time on a technicality. One of his victims was seven years old."

Andrea looked away from me.

I closed my eyes as I remembered the sickening feeling in my gut after letting Victor touch me all over. I couldn't hold back. I vomited in Victor's toilet after I was through with him, only I forgot to flush the evidence. The crime lab had it tested. The DNA matched Corinne Crown's.

"Taylor Vaughn came next-"

"I can't hear any more of this." Carol interrupted me suddenly, her hand raised. "I can't."

"You can leave if you need to." Rick replied softly.

Carol headed out of the barn, Lori hot on her heels. I watched them leave.

"Are all of your stories like this?" Glenn asked, leaning away from the stall door.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"I don't need to hear anymore either." Glenn shook his head. "I believe you."

I gave Glenn an appreciative nod.

"What about you, Hershel?" Rick asked, turning to Hershel.

"I've heard enough." Hershel said immediately, slowly walking towards me. "I believe that you would never do anything to hurt my daughters, Patricia, or myself."

"Good." I replied softly.

"If I agree to welcome you back, I need you to promise me something."

"What?" I asked.

"I need you to promise me that those days are behind you." Hershel put his hands on his hips. "I need you to look me in the eye and swear that your days of killing are over."

I looked up into Hershel's eyes.

"I promise that I will never kill again." I swore without hesitation.

Hershel nodded.

"Let's get back to the house." Hershel said, turning around to face the others. "This is finished."

I remained in place, watching Hershel go with the others. I could see Maggie approaching me out of the corner of my eye. I felt her hand wrapping around my wrist moments later.

"Corinne?" Maggie asked, her other hand touching my cheek. "You feel warm…"

"Do I?" I asked halfheartedly.

"You're running a fever." Maggie replied, feeling my other cheek. "You shouldn't have had to stay in the stables overnight. It's no wonder you caught cold."

I looked away from Hershel as he left the barn with Patricia. Maggie was motioning for Daryl, who immediately came over.

"Corinne is sick." Maggie told Daryl, releasing my wrist. "Take her up to the house."

Daryl went to pick me up, but I put my hand out.

"That isn't necessary." I mumbled, taking a step back. "I can walk up to the house myself."

"Corinne, please let Daryl help you." Maggie murmured, touching my shoulder.

"Why?" I asked. "I don't deserve his help."

"What?" Daryl asked, furrowing his brow. "What're you talkin' 'bout? You gettin' cold feet 'bout what you done 'cause Rick and the others freaked out? Well, you ain't gotta."

"He's right, Corinne." Maggie agreed.

"How can you agree with him?" I asked, looking at Maggie. "I hurt your sister. My actions and the revelation of my actions have hurt Beth. How can you support me?"

"Beth will come around." Maggie reassured me.

"Beth…" I shook my head. "She won't come around. She's not going to forgive me…"

I swayed to the left, but Daryl was there to block me with his body. He wrapped both arms around me, swiftly pulling me up into his arms. I didn't try to fight him or stop him. I was remembering the look on Beth's face when she brought me the tray of food. I was hearing her words in my head.

"I'll get up to the house to start a bath." Maggie said, already jogging ahead of Daryl and I.

"I should've brought you a blanket last night." Daryl muttered as he carried me out of the stables. "Rick be damned, I should've made sure you was warm-"

"It doesn't matter." I mumbled against Daryl's shoulder. "Beth said that God was going to cut me down."

"What?" Daryl asked, looking down at me. "What'd she say?"

"Maybe she was right." I closed my eyes. "I should have died in the barn…"

"What'd you just say?" Daryl snapped, shaking me in his arms.

I opened my eyes to look up at his face. He was glaring down at me, waiting for an answer.

"What happened to everything you said before?" Daryl asked angrily. "What happened to the girl who said she was strong? What happened to all that?"

I didn't know what to say. I felt only numbness at the possibility of Beth hating me forever. I didn't say a word. Neither did Daryl. He carried me into the house and up the stairs. Once he set me down on my feet inside of the bathroom with Maggie, he was gone. He slammed the door behind him.

0o0o0

After a hot bath, I felt better. I sat on the couch, a heavy blanket wrapped around my shoulders, while Maggie laid on the couch across from me. Even if she hadn't been yawning every few minutes, I would have been able to tell that she was tired.

"Why don't you go to sleep, Maggie?" I suggested.

"I'm all right." Maggie insisted mid yawn.

"You don't have to stay up on my account." I replied with a smile when Maggie yawned again. "Take a nap for an hour or two. You won't miss anything."

"I don't know." Maggie mumbled tiredly. "I just might."

I watched Maggie's eyes close. They stayed that way, and soon, I could tell she was fast asleep. I looked into the kitchen, where Patricia, Lori, and Carol were preparing lunch. Carol happened to glance over at me while I was looking. The corners of my mouth started to turn up into a smile, but stopped when Carol abruptly looked away from me. I sighed.

I got up from the couch, keeping the blanket around me as I quietly slipped out of the house. I sat down in one of the rockers. It was nice to be outside where I wasn't surrounded by people who were uncomfortable with my presence or wanted me gone. Before the groups merged, I didn't care what Rick and the others thought of me. If we were all going to stick together, though, I wanted everything to be as smooth and cohesive as possible. It didn't look like that was going to happen.

"What're you doin' out here?"

I turned to see Daryl circling around the corner of the house towards me.

"I needed some air." I replied, leaning back against the chair as I rocked.

Daryl leaned back against the railing in front of me. He folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier." I murmured, looking down at the porch. "I was just feeling sorry for myself."

Daryl grunted.

"Why do you care what they think?" Daryl muttered.

I looked up at Daryl.

"You're here to stay." I replied quietly. "We all have to learn to get along, or else next time, I might not be welcomed back into the house so easily or at all."

"That's never gonna happen." Daryl scoffed, shaking his head.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"We'd leave before it came to that." Daryl said, glancing behind him for a moment.

"We?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "What do you mean we?"

"You…me…" Daryl looked quickly down at the porch. "Anyone else who wanted to come…"

I lifted one side of my mouth into a half smile.

"You would leave all of this behind for me?" I asked.

"It wouldn't be that big of a deal." Daryl mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've lived off the land before. I could do it again. It wouldn't be hard."

I nodded, closing my eyes as I continued to rock in the chair. As I used my feet to rock the chair back and forth, I suddenly felt a hand adjusting the blanket around my shoulders. I didn't feel the need to open my eyes. I knew who it was. I felt comfortable enough remaining as I was. I didn't miss a step or sway the rhythm I was keeping with my feet.

Even when the hands were suddenly lifting me off the chair, I didn't open my eyes. It was a strange feeling, to be so willingly vulnerable with a man. I kept my eyes shut as Daryl settled into the rocking chair with me in his lap. I kept my head comfortably against his shoulder. I didn't want to open my eyes because I didn't need to, but I also didn't want to end or ruin the moment. I didn't know how long it would last and I wanted to enjoy it while it did.

I felt Daryl's face against mine.

"I…" Daryl whispered into my ear. "I'd leave…for you…"

I nestled closer into Daryl's shoulder, but kept my eyes closed.

"I know." I whispered back.

Daryl lifted his head from my ear, but kept his face against mine. I felt his nose in my hair. After a few moments, he rested his head against mine. Then, he was rocking us in the chair. I opened my eyes for only a few seconds to watch his feet as he kept a steady rhythm as we rocked together.