Safe and Sound
Chapter 4: Eyes Open
The next morning, the camp was more restless than ever. The supply run group should have been back by now. Something must've gone wrong for them to still not be back. Grace had just helped get the kids situated with some breakfast and she sat with them idly, biting on her thumb. She had prayed a bit last night, for Glenn and his group to make it back safely. She wasn't dumb, she knew there was a reason they weren't back yet. Also knew that she might not ever see him again. Still though, she prayed and hoped for a miracle.
"Hey Carl," Shane suddenly called out, "When you're done eating, why don't you come over here, there's something I want to show you."
The boy next to her perked up and started shoveling his food faster, eager to see what Shane wanted to show him. Grace smiled at him and then glanced up at Shane, sending him a smile too when she realized he was looking at her. She had been shocked to find out that Shane wasn't Carl's dad but after she learned that he had been close to the boy's dad, it all clicked in her head.
Shane was a bit bossy but he seemed to have good intentions. And so far, he kept them and the camp safe. Grace was more than thankful for that. She glanced around at the camp, people were still in the process of getting into the swing of the day. She couldn't help but glance at the Dixons' tent. She thought back to last night, the small moment she shared with Daryl. It wasn't much, but it was the first time the man hadn't snarled or glared at her since she arrived. So, she would take it.
"It's late. They should have been back by now." She heard Amy's voice over by the RV. Grace looked over to see Dale and Jim working on something near the front of the car.
"All that worrying won't make it any better." Dale answered the girl, barely looking up from his work.
As if by some weird coincidence, right at that moment the radio sparked up with noise for a second, a transmission coming through. It was garbled and hard to decipher but it sounded like T-Dog. Something about being trapped at a department store. Grace felt her blood run cold. A department store? The only reason she could think of why they'd be there was...for her. She thought back to Glenn, who was adamant that he would be able to find her some clothes and shoes during this trip. Grace grabbed onto the cross necklace dangling beneath her shirt...well, Glenn's shirt.
Dale tried to respond back but the radio cut into silence.
"We do not go after them. We do not risk the rest of the group." Shane insisted, looking over all the camper's and their worried faces.
"We're just gonna leave her there? She volunteered to go to help the rest of us." Amy argued, glaring at Shane.
"She knew the risks. If she's trapped, she's gone; you just have to deal with that." Shane responded, a bit coldly.
Grace felt herself grimace at that, thinking back to her talk with Shane the other day. He was so willing to just drop people like flies it seemed. Maybe he wasn't a good leader.
"That's my sister, you son-of-a-bitch." Amy yelled before storming off, Lori chasing after her.
Grace knew she should go after Amy, comfort her. Hell, she was just as mad as Amy now. Especially if the only reason they were in that department store was because of her. This was her fault. She could see Lori consoling her though so Grace decided to give them a minute. On the other hand, Daryl was not here right now and didn't hear what they all had just learned. She figured someone should go tell him. His brother was on that trip. She didn't see anyone jumping at the chance, probably not even thinking about the two brothers.
She walked down to their tent, hesitantly. She cleared her throat as she stood in front of it. It was zipped up all the way.
"Daryl, are you in there?" She called out. No response.
She glanced around and noticed the burnt out fire in front of the tent from the night before. There were also bloodstains, probably from the squirrels, all around the log next to the fire. The silence unnerved her and she tried to call out again, but still no response. She stood there for a moment, biting her lip before grabbing the zipper in her fingers and slowly unzipping the tent.
It was a mess inside, clothes thrown all about. Two sleeping bags on opposite sides of the tent. She could tell which one was Merle's, that's for sure, the smell alone gave it away. The tent was empty of people though and she noted that the crossbow was gone as well. He was probably out hunting then, she guessed, zipping the tent back up.
Hours later, Grace was helping Carol hang up some wet clothes on the clothesline when the sound of sirens could be heard echoing through the mountains. For a moment, she thought maybe it was a rescue squad. That the group in the city came across them and sent them here to get the rest of the group. She could feel hope bubbling in her heart as both her and Carol stopped moving and walked to where everyone else, excluding Daryl, was standing.
"Talk to me, Dale." Shane said.
Dale was standing on the top of the RV, binoculars in his hand. He was quiet for a moment.
"Well, I'll be damned." He muttered.
"What is it?" Amy asked.
After Grace had tried to find Daryl and given up, she had offered Amy some comfort while the poor girl had cried about Andrea, thinking of the worst things possible. There wasn't much Grace could offer and although Amy wasn't a religious person, she had asked Grace for some prayers for Andrea. Grace had been more than happy to oblige.
"Stolen car is my guess." Dale said.
Suddenly, a red Dodge Challenger pulled into the campsite. The alarm was so loud; Grace covered her hands with her ears. It wasn't a rescue group all right, but seeing Glenn get out of the car brought immense relief to her. On impulse, Grace darted forward and launched herself on Glenn, hugging him tightly. His face turned a light pink at the contact but a happy smile was present on both of their faces.
"Shut that thing off!" Shane yelled at Glenn.
"I don't know how!" Glenn yelled back over the blaring noise as Grace let go of the boy. Amy ran to Glenn, demanding to know what happened to others, particularly Andrea.
"Pop the hood." Shane said.
Between Amy yelling at him and Shane's commands, Glenn appeared flustered. Grace giggled at the look on his face and took it upon herself to open the hood for Shane while Amy interrogated Glenn. Shane quickly took care of the noise and then proceeded to yell at Glenn for being his "stupid" move. Dale stood up for the boy but quickly backed down when Shane turned his intense gaze on him. Grace could care less about any of that, she was just happy to have Glenn back.
Glenn told the group about what had happened in Atlanta and everyone was relieved to hear the rest of the group was on their way back. Another car pulled up shortly after, a large van. Andrea's face appeared from behind the van and Amy quickly pulled her in a tight hug, expressing her concerns. Morales also appeared after Andrea and his family looked very happy to have him back in their arms.
"How did you guys manage to get out anyways?" Shane asked.
"The new guy." Glenn said, happily.
"Yo', helicopter boy." Morales called out. "Get over here and meet the group."
A middle-age man stepped out of the driver's side of the van. He was in a cop's uniform. He looked a bit thin and worn but Grace was happy to see another living face. He looked around the group, skimming over their faces. When he saw Shane's, emotion popped into his eyes, recognition. He stepped back for a second, and suddenly he caught sight of Carl. Grace turned to look at Carl who slowly turned his head to look at the new guy. The same emotion appeared in the boy's eyes and he ran towards the new guy, full speed.
Grace's eyes began to tear up as she realized this was Carl's dad. Him, Lori and Carl were locked in a hug, all three looking so relieved and so full of hope. It ate away at her heart, seeing them so happy. So she teared up, feeling so grateful that Carl had his dad back. She silently thanked her Lord for the blessing he had bestowed on the family. Glenn, noticing her expression, grasped her hand lightly in his, giving it a squeeze. She returned it with a smile.
She knew from the moment on, that no matter what happened, she would never lose hope. God worked in mysterious ways, she knew that. And she knew that his grace, his love would never die out. It had been a long time since she had prayed, or even thought about God, but witnessing this reunion, there was no way she could ever deny his presence.
Glenn let go of her hand and ran back to the van. She watched him confused but then realization hit her as he walked back with a large bag in his hand. He gave the bag to her, a big smile present on his face. She took it gratefully and pulled the boy in another hug.
"I managed to grab some clothes I thought would fit you." He said. "Oh! And I found some shoes as well."
"Let's bring this back to our tent and I'll take a look." She said and he walked with her back to the tent.
While he had been gone, she had cleaned all of his dirty clothes and folded them nicely on his side of the tent. She also washed his sleeping bag and set that up nicely as well. He looked a bit surprised when he entered the tent and noticed the neatness. He gave her a quick smile and she just shrugged.
"Least I could do." She said.
She emptied the bag of clothes on her side of the tent. The first thing she noticed was a big pair of boots. They were a dark brown, and chunky. They'd be incredibly useful. She slipped them on quickly. They were a little big but she tightened the laces to keep them secure. They went up just past her ankles. She looked at the rest of the clothes. There were about three pairs of jeans and shorts, white and two blue ones. He had also grabbed her a few tank-tops, she particularly liked a blue and white striped one, and a few t-shirts. She noticed some jackets in the pile as well.
"We don't know how long this will last." Glenn explained. "And it might get cold out."
Grace smiled at his consideration and folded all the clothes nicely on her side of the tent.
"I don't know what I can do to thank you." Grace said, trying to think of something she can do for him in return.
"Don't worry about it, Grace." He said.
"No, Glenn." She replied. "You risked your life for this. I'll make it up to you, somehow."
Glenn just shrugged. He really didn't mind getting Grace some clothes. The poor girl, who had become something of a sister to him, didn't even have shoes and all she had to wear was that ratty dress. And he had managed to make it out of the city safe. He didn't feel she was in debt to him. Just having her here as a companion for him was all he needed.
Grace suddenly looked confused and Glenn glanced at her.
"Where's Merle?" She asked, realizing he hadn't been a part of the group that had come back.
Glenn looked down at his lap.
"Did he get hurt?" She asked, shocked.
"Not really." He said.
"Dead?"
"I don't think so."
"Glenn, what happened to Merle?" She asked, thinking about Daryl. Merle was all that man had.
"Look, Merle...he attacked T-dog. They got in some stupid argument about race and he started beating on him. Rick-he, uh, handcuffed him to a bar on the roof to keep him contained. He gave T-dog the key to the handcuffs when we went to find a way out of the store. When we were overrun by the walkers, T-dog panicked and dropped the key down the drain." Glenn said. "Merle got left, handcuffed, on the roof."
"He's still alive?!" Grace asked.
"As far as we know." He said. "T-dog chained the door to the roof so those things couldn't get inside. But who knows."
"Oh gosh." She said. "Who's going to tell Daryl? That is his brother after all. He's going to be so mad."
"I don't know." Glenn said, "I don't know."
It was the next day and Daryl had never returned to camp from his hunting trip. Grace was a bit worried and wondered why no one else had even mentioned him besides their little conversation last night about who would tell him the bad news about Merle.
Grace didn't particularly like Merle. He was rude, perverted, racist and just a little creepy. But she couldn't believe what they had done to him. Tied him up to some roof of a building as though he was a dog who had peed on the carpet. And then to leave him up there. Merle might be mean-but still, that sort of death sentence didn't seem to fit the crime. While she did not by any means condone his actions or the things he said to both T-Dog and Morales, he had pulled his weight around the camp here. Not only that, but he had family here. So she couldn't help but feel sad about what happened to him. No one deserved that to be left like that. Not to die easy and fast. Merle was a rude man, but she couldn't help but like the spirit he had inside him, even if he had it for all the wrong reasons.
Grace was tempted to go look for Daryl. But she had no idea what direction he had run off to and she figured she would just get lost looking for him. Besides, if she did find him she knew he would ask if the group had returned and she didn't have the heart to tell him what happened to his brother. Especially when she knew he had been worrying about him the night before. And she dreaded the moment he would find out.
Suddenly the screams of the children made her jump in surprise. Rick Grimes, the new cop that arrived yesterday, Lori, Carol, Glenn, Shane, T-Dog, and Morales all jumped up and began running towards the direction of the screams. Grace followed close behind.
"Carl!" Lori yelled. "Carl!"
Grace was definitely not ready for the sight they stumbled upon. One of the walkers was up on the hill, feasting on a dead deer. It's skin was gray and decaying, its hair stringy and falling off. He was wearing what looked like a business suit. For some reason, that saddened her. This poor guy had probably been at work when the attack happened. She wondered who he was before this all happened. What his name was, if he was married, if he had kids.
The walker noticed them behind him and stood up, snarling. Shane took the first hit. And then Glenn brought down his weapon on the poor creature. Soon all the men were bashing the walker with their weapons. It fell to the floor as they smacked him and the sight broke Grace's heart. Maybe they didn't have to kill him. She wasn't sure why this idea had come over her. She had never had any qualms before, not that she had ever killed one of the dead. Maybe it was the semblance of safety they had here at the camp. Was killing necessary still? Perhaps there was another way to deal with the dead, a far more humane way. Maybe they could tie him up somewhere he couldn't escape. They had no idea if a cure was being made right now and maybe it was. Maybe this man could be saved. As she stared at the walker being beat to death by the men, she couldn't help but imagine that being her mother instead. She hoped to God no one was beating her like this.
Without thinking, she threw herself in front of the thing lying on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Shane yelled at her. "Get out of the way!"
"Stop! Please, stop hitting him!" She yelled back in response. "We don't have to kill him!"
The walker was struggling behind her, obviously hurt.
"I'm not going to tell you again, Grace." Shane said. "Get out of the way."
"Please!" She begged. "We can tie him up, handcuff him! Anything! He can be cured. We can't kill him. We can't."
Glenn, aware of the frustration and anger of the men around him, pushed Grace away from the thing. The walker was getting too close to her for his comfort and he didn't want her hurt. With the new opening, Dale slammed down his axe, cutting the head off instantly.
Grace let out a little gasp as the head rolled to a stop by her leg. Tears sprung into her eyes as she looked at his face. Despite the blood and the rotting flesh, he still looked like a person.
"This is the first one we've had up here." Dale said. "They never come this far up the mountain."
"They're runnin' out of food in the city." Jim said. "That's all."
A twig snapped nearby and the group could hear footsteps getting closer. Shane raised his gun, getting ready in case another one of the walkers decided to show up because of the noise. When Daryl's face appeared through the leaves and he walked out from behind a boulder, he dropped his gun, letting out a sigh.
Grace could feel the tension from the group.
"Son of a bitch!" Daryl said, angrily. "That was my deer."
He walked past the deer and to the body of the dead walker.
"Look at it, all nawed up." He said, pissed. Then he started kicking the dead body.
"By this filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!"
"Listen son, that's not helping." Dale said, softly.
"What do ya' know 'bout it, old man." Daryl snapped, getting in Dale's face. "Why don't ya' take that stupid hat and go back to On Golden Pond?"
Daryl walked back over the deer and began pulling the arrows out of its dead body, "I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna' drag it back to camp and cook us up some venison. Whadda' think we can cut around this chewed up part righ' here?"
"I would not risk that." Shane said, holding his gun behind his head.
"Damn shame." Daryl muttered. "Still got sum squirrel. 'Bout a dozen or so. That'll have ta' do."
As soon as Daryl finished his statement, the dead walker's head came back to life, biting at the air around it. Amy looked absolutely disgusted and walked away with Andrea. Grace, who was still on the floor besides the head, covered her mouth with her hands to keep her scream quiet.
"What the hell, people?" Daryl exclaimed, quickly sending an arrow into its eye. "It's gotta' be the brains. Don't ya'll no nothing?"
Grace let out a small gasp as the arrow impaled it's eye. Daryl noticed her on the ground and looked confused for a second.
"What the hell ya' doing down there?" He asked harshly. "Lookin' ta be killed?"
He grabbed her by the upper arm and hoisted her up. She stood on shaky legs looking pale and Daryl was worried she would puke all over him. He quickly walked away from her and began yelling to Merle to get his ass out to the campfire to help him gut the squirrels. Merle, of course, never came out so Daryl called for him again.
Shane took after him, telling him he had to talk to him. Glenn strung his arm around the shaken Grace and helped her walk back to camp. The whole group was standing around the pair.
"It's about Merle." Shane said. "There was a problem in Atlanta."
"He dead?" Daryl asked, his voice quieter.
Grace bit her lip, almost not wanting to hear what was coming next.
"Not sure."
"He either is or he ain't." Daryl snarled.
"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick said, coming up behind Shane.
"Who are you?" Daryl asked, his defenses up.
"Rick Grimes."
"Rick Grimes." Daryl bit out. "Ya' got sumthing ya' wanna' to tell me?"
"Your brother was a danger to us all." Rick said. "So I handcuffed him to a roof to a piece of metal. He's still there."
Grace felt her body tense as the news was finally blurted out. Glenn tightened his hold on her.
Daryl turned away from him and wiped at his eyes. Grace couldn't tell if he was wiping off sweat or tears, and she felt her stomach drop.
"Hold on." He muttered. "Let me process this. Ya' say ya' handcuffed my brother to a roof? And ya' left him there?!"
"Yeah." Rick said, looking down.
Daryl was pissed. He huffed for a moment before throwing the string of squirrels at Rick, who ducked out of the way, and began to barrel towards him. Shane stepped in his path and knocked him to the ground. He pulled his hunting knife from his pants and got up quickly, swinging it at Rick. Rick, obviously trained, grabbed his arm and shoved it behind his back. Shane grabbed his other arm and grabbed him in a choke whole.
"Best let me go." He yelled.
Grace could see Daryl's face turning red as he tried to breath.
"Chockholdins' illegal." He muttered, out of breath.
"File a complaint." Shane snapped.
Rick bent down to talk to Daryl as his face grew more and more red. Grace suddenly felt scared, not wanting him to pass out.
"Shane, stop!" She screamed, pushing her way forward. Everyone looked at her in surprise, but Shane released him from his grasp. Daryl stayed on the floor for a while, trying to catch his breath.
"What I did was not on a whim." Rick said. "Your brother does not play well with others."
"So you just tie him up like some sort of animal?" Grace exclaimed, surprising the group once again, "And then leave him? That's no way to treat a human being. Merle might be dangerous, but he does not deserve to die like that."
"Look, it was my fault." T-dog said, coming to Rick's defense. "I had the key. I dropped it."
"And ya' couldn't pick it up." Daryl snapped, standing up.
"I dropped it, down a drain."
"If that's suppose to make me feel betta, it don't." Daryl said, walking away.
"Maybe this will." T-dog said. "I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him with a padlock."
"That has to count for something." Rick said.
For a moment, it seemed as through Daryl was going to cry as his face scrunched up and he wiped at his eyes. The sight tugged at Grace's heart.
"To hell with all ya'll." He said, half-heartedly. "Just tell me where he is. So I can goes get him."
"He'll show you." Lori said, from her place by the RV. "Isn't that right?"
Rick glanced down and seemed conflicted for a moment, "I'm going back."
Daryl walked away, picking up the squirrels from the ground and walking to his tent. The group dispersed, everyone going off to do something else as the scene was over. Grace bit her lip, pausing for a moment, before following Daryl. Glenn looked at her confused as she passed him, but she refused to meet his gaze.
She stood outside his tent for a moment, wondering if she should just leave. She knew he was probably going through hell right now. But she felt for him. She wanted to say something, try to comfort him if only a little.
"Daryl?" She called out lightly.
She heard some things shifted around before he answered.
"What the hell do ya' want?" He called out. "Can't you people just leave me alone?"
"I just wanted to talk to you for a second." She said, fiddling with the pink tank-top she had on that Glenn had brought back for her.
When he didn't answer, she hesitantly opened his tent and stepped inside cautiously. Daryl was sitting in the corner holding what looked like one of Merle's shirts in his hand. She placed her hand on his shoulder but he flinched from her touch so she quickly let it drop to her side.
"Look, what they did wasn't right." She said, "But Merle's a strong man. He can hold his own. I bet he's sitting on that roof right now, cussing us all out. He'll be just fine until you guys go get him. I don't doubt that."
Daryl still didn't say anything and for a moment, the tent was silent.
"I know what you're going through." She said softly. "When my town was hit, I was at my dance. Everything was chaotic and I just wanted to make sure my parents were okay. So I ran all the way home, risking death just to make sure they were okay. But they weren't. I found them. My dad was dead by the time I got home and my mom…she-she tried to attack me. My own mother. The woman who cared for me day to day, my best friend."
Grace could feel tears start to form in her eyes, "But Merle isn't like my parents. He's strong. He'll be okay."
She saw some of the tension leave his body as his shoulders slumped forward but he remained quiet. She turned around, about to leave. If there was anything she learned about Daryl, it was that if you bother him for too long it was like poking a bear with a stick. Still though, she had wanted to say something to him. Everyone might not like Merle, but that man was still someone's brother, someone's family.
"Merle is a tough son of a bitch." Daryl's voice stopped her from stepping out of the tent. "Nothin' can kill that dick. Not even me. Only Merle can kill Merle. But bein' chained up like that, he's not as strong as he can be. We might not get along well, but that bastard is still my brother."
"You'll find him." She said, turning back around. "And you'll bring him back. He might not want to come back after what they did to him, but you bring him back. It's safer here than anywhere in that city. And Merle, he might be a little rough, but he's still one of God's children and he deserves to be protected just like the rest of us."
"God's children." She heard him scoff under his breath, "What are ya', some choir boy?"
She winced a bit but the sarcasm in his voice made her let out a tiny laugh, "Close. Preacher's daughter."
Daryl glanced at her for a moment before turning his head back down. She knew that was her signal to leave.
"Grace." Daryl's voice stopped her again. She turned back around to see him looking at her this time.
"Yeah?" She asked.
He tossed her the cut up, flannel shirt that he was holding in his hands. She caught it and glanced at him confused.
"It's Merle's." He said. "Fer some reason, that son of a bitch liked ya'. Can't tell ya' why, but he did. Now leave me the hell alone, girl."
Grace held onto the shirt tightly and gave him a small smile before leaving the tent.
A few hours later, Daryl was sitting by the fire cleaning off his arrows as they prepared for the trip. He thought back to Grace, the preacher's daughter with the innocent smile. She had stood up for his brother to the group, which had surprised him greatly. He remembered Merle mentioning something about her-liked her, actually liked her for some reason or another. Ever since they joined this group, they had been treated like outcasts. He knew they were not even close to being friendly, but they pulled their weight for the group, hunting and getting food for everyone. So it pissed him off the way they treated his brother in Atlanta.
His thoughts floated back to Grace. She had come talk to him in the tent briefly. She was probably the only person at this camp who had ever bothered to even talk to his brother or him for that matter. Not that he particularly cared. In fact, he wished his brother had never even had the smart idea to join with this group. He only wanted to scoop them out for a bit before he planned to rob them anyways. Daryl had argued with him on that. He knew if they had just kept to themselves and found their own way, they would be fine, just the two of them. But Merle was never one who could be reasoned with.
And Daryl wouldn't speak a word of this to anyone, but he did feel a little better after her talk with him. Him and Merle might not have the best relationship, but he was his brother and all he had left in this world. Merle had taught him everything he needed to know-stepped in and took their father's place who didn't give a rats ass about what happened to them. Merle wasn't loving, not at all. But Daryl still cared for him. If he did find his brother, he wondered what that meant for them. They'd probably have to leave the group behind. 'Good riddance', Daryl thought to himself as he looked around the camp. But then he caught sight of a particular blonde who seemed to be fretting over the asian boy and he paused for a moment before shaking his head.
"Why-Why would you risk your life for a douche-bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane asked, as him and Rick walked over by Daryl.
"Hey! Choose your words more carefully." Daryl said, standing up.
"Oh I did." Shane said. "Douche-bag is what I meant. Merle Dixon, guy wouldn't give you a glass of water even if you were dying of thirst."
"What he would or wouldn't do, doesn't matter to me." Rick said. "I can't let a man die of thirst, thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being."
"So you and Daryl?" Lori said. "That's your big plan."
Rick turned towards Glenn, looking at him with pleading eyes. Grace stepped in front of Glenn, glaring at Rick. She did not want Glenn to go into the city again. They barely got out the first time and she didn't want him to risk his life again.
"No." She said, crossing her arms. "Glenn is not going on this trip."
"What are you guys together now?" Shane asked from behind Rick.
Both Glenn and Grace turned a bright red.
"No!" She exclaimed. "But I'm not letting him risk his life again."
"You know the way. You've been there back and forth, in and out. You said so yourself. I know it's not fair for me to ask. I know that. But I would feel a lot better with you by my side. And I know she would too." Rick said, gesturing to his wife.
"Don't try to guilt him into this!" Grace said.
"It's his decision, Grace." Rick said calmly.
Grace turned around and looked at Glenn, pleading to him with her eyes not to go. He looked conflicted for a moment. Not sure which side to pick.
"That's just great, you're going to risk three men." Shane said.
"If Glenn goes, I go too." Grace said, not eager to sit at camp listening to everyone worry about the group again.
"No way." Shane said. "No way in hell. You can't handle yourself. And after the stunt you pulled today with that walker."
"I can handle myself just fine." She said, stubbornly.
"No." Daryl piped up, surprising everyone. "Yer not goin'"
She might not be as weak as he originally thought, but he knew how dangerous the city was and he knew she wouldn't be able to handle herself. And he didn't want to have to keep her and his ass safe while he was out there.
"And why not?" She snapped.
"I ain't lookin' to play babysitter, girl." He said harshly.
She crossed her arms and glared at nothing in particular as she walked away angrily. Glenn followed her. Daryl could care less that she was upset. He was just satisfied that she was not going with them. He wanted to get in and out of the city quickly and leave with his brother. He had no doubt that she would just get in the way. His thoughts shifted to earlier, seeing her on the floor next to the walker's head.
"I'm going too." T-dog said from behind him.
Daryl grimaced, "My day just keeps getting better."
He left to go get in the van, eager to get going. Glenn was already sitting in the driver seat with the door open and Grace leaning against it. He hopped into the back of the open van as he waited for Rick and T-dog to get inside so they could go get Merle back.
"Glenn, I really don't want you going." He heard Grace say.
"I'll be fine, Grace." The Asian boy said. "I've done this plenty of times. I'll be back before you know it."
"Promise me you'll stay safe." She pleaded. "No more heroic gestures, okay? It worked out this time with Rick, but maybe it won't work out like that again."
"I'll be careful, Grace. Don't worry." He replied and she leaned over and gave the boy a kiss on the cheek.
Daryl rolled his eyes at their little moment.
"You too, Daryl." Grace said and he glanced over at her. "Promise me you'll stay safe."
"Don't ya' be startin' that shit with me, girl." He said, looking impatiently and Rick and Shane.
"Just promise me, Daryl." She said. "Please."
Daryl rolled his eyes again not liking that now both the attention of the girl and the smaller asian boy was on him. He felt uncomfortable under her gaze so he just nodded with a small grunt, eager to get her to leave.
She smiled lightly before walking off, probably to go talk with Amy or someone. He couldn't help but be baffled by the girl. He couldn't understand why she was so emotional. It drove him nuts.
He looked down at the Asian who was watching her walk away.
"Is she ya' girlfrien' or sumthing, chink?" He asked.
Glenn's face turned red, "No! Grace…Grace is like a sister to me."
Daryl merely raised his eyebrow at the boy before taking a seat in the van, the other men finally joining them.
Author's Note: This chapter has been revised! I know some of you are probably yelling at Grace for being stupid enough to try to protect one of the walkers, haha. But as I said before, she's definitely naive. She was raised to believe that everything is God's creature and to only kill if necessary. You'll definitely see her grow as the story continues and she continues to adapt to the new world. ANYWAYS there will be a lot more Daryl-Grace interaction in the next few chapters so I hope you guys continue to stay patient. I don't want to make Daryl out of character so it will take some time to build up their relationship as you all know he isn't very emotional.