Safe and Sound
Chapter 5: For you
Grace sat next to the quarry, washing clothes like the rest of the women were doing. Shane and Carl were splashing about in the water a few ways off and Ed was sitting behind them. His presence put Grace on edge. Her bruise was still present on her face. Glenn had commented on it but she just told him she had slipped and hit her face on a branch while walking down the hill. He had believed her little lie.
"Can someone explain to me how the women ended up doing all the heavyweight day-to-day work?" Jacqui asked.
"The world ended." Amy said lightly, "Didn't you get the memo?"
Grace noticed the way Carol glanced back at Ed for a moment, "It's just the way it is."
The women went back to work, scrubbing away the clothes. Grace could feel some sweat build up on the edge of her hairline as the sun beat down on her back. She had started to get some tan lines from constantly being out in the sun. Her thoughts trailed off to the group who had left to go fetch Merle. She was keeping them in prayers. If Merle was alive, he would've had to survive an entire night alone.
"I do miss my Maytag." Carol piped up from next to Amy.
"I miss my coffee maker, with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey." Jacqui said, closing her eyes as she thought of it.
Grace giggled at her expression.
"I miss my Benz." Andrea said. "My sat-nav."
"My computer." Amy sighed. "Texting."
"I miss my dog." Grace said, biting her lip, "and my bathtub."
The women nodded in agreement, thinking about the last time they had a nice proper bath.
"I miss my vibrator." Andrea said, suddenly.
Grace's face turned bright red at the mention of a sex toy. The other women caught the expression on her face and laughed to themselves.
"Hey, you're the one who brought up a bathtub." Andrea laughed, "I sure miss those nights to myself."
If it was possible, Grace's face turned even more red.
Carol glanced back at Ed for a second, "Me too."
This sent the women over edge, even Grace and they all began laughing loudly.
"What's so funny?" Ed asked, walking over the group.
Grace's stomach dropped.
"Just swapping war stories, Ed." Andrea said, still laughing lightly.
Ed didn't reply but he walked closer to the group, smoking his cigarette. The smoke stung Grace's eyes and she coughed a little bit. Some people in her town smoke cigars, but she wasn't used to the smoke. The smell, however, reminded her of Merle and her thoughts instantly went to the group in Atlanta. She hoped that they were safe but she was worried about Glenn…and Daryl. She knew the man was going through hell with the situation of his brother and she prayed that they found Merle just fine.
"Got a problem, Ed?" Andrea asked, looking up at the man who paced behind them.
"None that concerns you." He said, "You folks ought to work. This ain't no comedy club."
Andrea stopped working from besides her, glancing up at Ed. Grace wanted to tell her to just go back to working and leave the man alone. She didn't want Andrea to be hit or hurt like she had been. But Ed was standing too close to them. She couldn't warn her.
"I'll tell you what." Andrea said, standing up. "You don't like the way your laundry's done, you are welcomed to pitch in and do it yourself."
She tossed the soaking wet pair of jeans at Ed. Grace squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the blow. He tossed them back at her, harder.
"Ain't my job, missy." He said.
"Andrea, don't." Amy said, coming up behind her.
"What is your job, Ed?" Andrea snapped. "Sitting on your ass, smoking cigarettes?"
"It sure ain't listening to some uppity, smart mouthed, bitch." He said. "Tell ya' what."
He looked down at Carol, "Come on, let's go."
Carol obediently got up.
"I don't think she has to go anywhere with you, Ed." Andrea said, coming to Carol's defense. Grace stood up from her spot on the floor.
"Well, I say it's none ya' business." Ed said. "Come on now, you heard me."
Andrea turned around and placed a hand on Carol's shoulder who pleaded with her to just let it be. Grace took Andrea's side. She was fed up with the way the men seemed to be able to do whatever they wanted without consequence. It was wrong to hit anyone. It was also wrong that everyone seemed to be turning a blind eye to it. Just because the world was over, didn't mean things like this should be allowed. She thought back to her conversation with Shane again, the only person who seemed eager to adapt to this cruel world already. No wonder he had never done anything to stop Ed. Wasn't he supposed to be a cop?
"Hey, don't think I won't knock you on your ass." Ed said. "Just 'cause you're some college educated cooze."
"Now you come along now, or you're going to regret it later." He said, addressing Carol.
"Just so she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed." Jacqui said, harshly. "Yeah we've seen them."
Ed let out a cold laugh that sent chills down Grace's spine and commanded Carol to leave with him again.
"You guys don't keep priding the bull here." He said. "Now I am done, okay."
"Come on." He said, pulling Carol's arm.
"No." Andrea said, grabbing Carol's other arm. Grace grabbed onto Carol's shoulder, not wanting her to leave with Ed. She knew he would just take her off to beat her and it would probably be worse because of the women standing up for her. Ed struggled to get Carol away from the women, sending a gab Grace's way to get her to let go. He nailed her in the jaw and she fell to the floor before he smacked Carol across the face. The woman instantly began to push Ed away and Shane appeared out of nowhere, throwing Ed to the ground.
He beat on him as Carol cried, holding her cheek. Amy helped Grace stand up, asking her if she was okay. She nodded, staying quiet as she held her jaw, rubbing it as it grew red. Shane continued to beat Ed to a pulp, only leaving him when Andrea yelled at him to stop. He whispered a warning to him before walking away.
Grace had a bruise on the left side of her jaw, one that matched the bruise on her left cheek. Carol had apologized to her profusely, but Grace knew it was not her fault. Sometimes there was just so much evil and sin in a person that they derailed from the path of God. She wished Ed could be rehabilitated. But she knew God would take care of him. It wasn't her place to judge, it was His.
Ed had been beat up so bad from Shane that he could hardly talk and he mostly sat in his tent, away from everyone. Grace couldn't help but be relieved that she wouldn't have to see him or be around him.
More crazy had been going on around the camp with Jim as well. All day today, he had been digging holes on the upper field. They looked suspiciously like graves and the thought of that sent chills down Grace's body. They had talked to him, but he had thrown a fit-gone into a rage. They managed to settle him down, convince him to drink some water and rest. When he was asked about why he was digging, he said he couldn't remember. Some figured the heat had gotten to him. But Grace couldn't help but be on edge ever since the incident.
It was the evening now, and everyone was sitting around eating. Andrea and Amy had gone fishing together later in the afternoon and had brought back plenty of fish for the group to eat. It wasn't the best meal, but Grace thought it was a lot better than eating squirrels.
"Can you pass the fish?" Carl asked her.
She handed him the plate with some of the fish on it and watched as he took one, sliding it on his plate. Grace suddenly realized how long it had been since she said grace before eating dinner. She knew not everyone at camp was religious, but hesitantly, she cleared her throat, gaining some attention.
"I know we're not all religious, but do you mind if I say grace and give thanks before we eat?" She asked, softly. "It's been so long since I've done so."
The group looked around at each other, debating if it was okay.
"I think it would be nice." Lori said. "For the children, as well."
Shane nodded in agreement with Lori, "Go ahead, Grace."
She nodded her thanks and held out her hand to Carl and Dale who were sitting next to her. Slowly, everyone in the group linked hands and closed their eyes.
"I know it's been awhile since I've expressed my love, God. But my devotion has never been stronger. I pray that you continue to keep our group safe. Please bring back Glenn, Rick, T-dog, Daryl, and Merle home safely. I pray that you watch over the children of this camp and keep their souls' pure in these dark days. And I pray that you bring light to this world, salvation. We thank you for the food you have provided us, the safe shelter of the camp, and the people you have saved here. Amen."
"Amen." The religious people in the group echoed and everyone opened their eyes. Carol had tears forming in her eyes and Lori gave her a small smile.
"Now, we eat!" Shane exclaimed, digging into his fish. "Man this is good."
Everyone laughed as the mood lightened and began digging into their food.
Morales asked Dale about his watch and he gave the story of its origin. Grace thought it was nice that he had something to cherish. She tugged at the necklace on her chest. It was a simple, gold cross that her mother had got her for her eighteenth birthday. She had been taking care of it as Dale had been taking care of his watch.
"I like what, uh, a father said to his son when he gives him a watch that had been handed down through generations. He said 'I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father's before me, I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it for a moment now and then and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it." Dale said.
"You're so weird." Amy said, causing the group to laugh.
"It's not me." Dale said, laughing as well. "It's-"
"William Faulkner." Grace interrupted, recognizing the quote.
"Looks like we got a smarty-pants over here." Shane joked.
Grace blushed, "My father was a fan. His quote of choice was a bit different though, 'People to whom sin is just a matter of words, to them salvation is just words too.'"
She couldn't help but glance at Shane as she spoke those words. Dale let out a noise of approval, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder.
"I would've liked to meet your father." Dale smiled, "Seems to me like we'd get along."
"Yeah, you two old farts could take your little boat into the lake and read Faulker all day long." Amy teased causing the group to laugh.
The group went back to eating and Amy stood up, setting her plate down.
"Where are you going?" Andrea asked, looking up at her.
"I have to pee." Amy whispered. "Geez, you try to be discrete around here."
This sent the group in another set of giggles.
"We're out of toilet paper?" Amy yelled from her spot next to the RV. Suddenly, a walker appeared from behind it, grabbing her arm and snapping down on it. Amy let out a gut-wrenching scream and she pulled her arm away, falling to the floor.
Grace looked around in fright as everyone started to scream as walkers suddenly piled into the camp. This was bad, she thought, real bad. She grasped her necklace and whispered a prayer under her breath quickly.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
People began running off in every direction, screams of terror drowning out the moaning from the walkers. She heard Shane yelling at everyone to get to the RV. She stopped up quickly, her plate crashing to the floor beneath her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, pushing her towards the RV. She turned quickly to see Dale, his eyes wide with fright.
"Come on, Grace." He yelled, "We've got to move now."
She finally felt her feet moving. Her and Dale had been lucky, they had been the closest ones to the RV and the first to make it there. She turned around, looking to make sure everyone else was safely making their way to them, Amy's body in the corner of her eye with Andrea right at her side, crying. Grace felt her own face flushed with tears. Shane had wrangled Lori and Carl, both helping them to safety, Carol and Sophia not too far from them.
Suddenly a high pitch scream had Grace reeling around. It was Morales's daughter. She had been separated from her family and one of the walkers had cornered her. She clung to her doll as it approached her. Grace looked around for her dad and mom, but Morales was one of the few who were aiding in killing the Walkers. Grace looked towards Shane, hoping he would make a move to help the girl, but he seemed more preoccupied with Carl and Lori. When she realized no one was heading towards her direction, something inside Grace snapped. It was as though suddenly the courage she was looking for had shown up.
She took off in the direction of the girl, who was now slowly backing down the hill towards Daryl's tent. She heard Dale yell after her, felt his hand try and grab her arm but she didn't stop. She couldn't. She needed to help. Her legs were much faster than the little girl and soon she was next to her scooping her up in her arms. With the girl now in her arms, she took a second to assess how she could make it back to the RV. She turned around to see that the walker that had been following the girl down the small hill was now accompanied by another. The path to get through them was narrow and Grace wasn't sure if it was worth the risk to try and run back towards the group. Instead she turned back towards the woods. She could do a big loop in the treeline and come up on the other side of the camp and hopefully find a way to make it towards the RV.
With the crying girl still in her arms, she darted past Daryl's tent and into the trees, the two walkers trailing beside her. Although the girl was small, she was heavy enough to be slowing Grace down. The snarls were getting closer and Grace was afraid that she wouldn't be able to make it. She spotted the tree she had climbed up the night before and made a quick plan.
"Eliza, I'm going to help you into this tree, okay?" She told the crying girl, coming to a stop under the tree, "Climb up as high as you can and they won't be able to get to you. I'll be right behind you okay. Don't look down."
The girl nodded at her and she lifted her up, helping her grab the branch. She hoisted the girl on the branch, helping her to stand then and grab the one above her. She quickly pushed her feet up, allowing the girl to get to the second branch. When the girl was safe on the branch, Grace turned to see the Walkers only a few feet away. She quickly grabbed onto the first branch herself and began to lift herself up. She didn't have enough time though as one of the walkers suddenly was at the bottom of the tree, grabbing her foot. It yanked at her and Grace could feel her grip on the tree loosening.
It yanked again as the second walker caught up, this time with enough force to pull her to the floor. She let out a scream as her back collided with the ground and the walker fell on top of her. It was too heavy for her to push off so she wrestled with it, trying to keep it from biting her. It furiously tried to bite at any part of her flesh it could reach as Grace continued to scream.
The group from the city finally made it back to camp, running as they heard the screams. They instantly started to fight off the walkers, trying to keep their people safe. Rick looked for his family, taking down walkers as he continued on. T-dog instantly began smashing the walkers trying to clear a path.
Glenn was the first to notice Grace on the floor, a walker on top of her.
"Grace!" He screamed, drawing Daryl's attention from next to him.
Daryl looked to see Grace's small figure until the walker as it tried to bite her, another looming over the two. He aimed his arrow in line with its head and shot. Both him and Glenn ran over to the girl still wrestling the other walker on the ground. Daryl grabbed it by it's shoulder, pulling it off her while Glenn impaled it's head with a knife.
Grace stared up at both of them, tears still pooling in her eyes. Daryl let the body of the walker drop to the ground as Glenn helped the girl stand up.
"Eliza." Grace whispered frantically to them, "She's up in the tree."
Daryl looked to Glenn and began pushing him in the direction of the others, "Go help the others."
He turned back to watch as Grace coaxed the little girl down from the tree. He saw two tiny shoes peak out from behind the leaves before Eliza came into view. Grace reached out her arms but the little girl clung to the branch, her eyes full of tears. She glanced at Daryl for a second before looking back at Grace and shaking her head.
"Eliza, I know you're scared, but we gotta get back to the camp, okay?" Grace said, trying to get the girl to calm down, "We need to get back to the others."
She watched as the younger girl cautiously looked over at Daryl. Grace followed her gaze and noticed the man standing there, his cobalt eyes catching hers.
"We don't got time for this Grace." He snapped, "Get her down, now."
Grace hurriedly looked back at the younger girl, "Come on, Eliza. Mr. Dixon is going to help us get you back to your parents, alright? Your brother, too!"
Finally Eliza climbed down a little more and was in Grace's reach. She grabbed onto her and lifted her down from the tree and into her arms. She turned to make her way to Daryl when a sharp pain in her ankle suddenly caused her to cry out, one of her arms shooting out from Eliza to grasp onto the tree to keep them both from falling over. She must've hurt her ankle when she fell from the tree as the walker pulled her down.
Daryl ran to the girl and Grace looked up to him, eyes wild with fright.
"Give me the girl." He said, pulling Eliza from Grace's arm, "Do you think you can walk?"
Grace hesitantly tried to place her weight on her ankle. It hurt, but it was bearable now that she didn't have to worry about Eliza. She nodded at the older man and began to limp forward. He threw his free arm in front of her waist and pulled him behind her.
"Stay close." He whispered. Daryl pulled the arrow from the walker's head he had shot earlier and continued walking, trying to get them to safety. He slung his crossbow around his neck and used the pistol Rick had given him instead. It was quicker and easier to use now that he only had one arm to work with.
"Get to the RV!" They heard Shane yelling again. The trio started their way back up the small hill towards the group.
He shot at a walker that growled in front of him and continued walking. He yelled at Grace to stay close at him as he could hear her breathing in fright behind him. He bashed in the head of another walker with the end of the gun, juggling the small girl in his free arm. He shot at a few others, keeping the RV in his line of sight.
He heard Grace scream from behind him and whirled around to see a walker grab on to her arm. He quickly shot it in the head, unfortunately spraying Walker guts all over Grace. She turned back to him and he grasped onto her wrist, dragging her closer this time. He didn't want something else to grab onto her again.
They were really close to the RV and Daryl watched as Rick ran to his son. Daryl bashed in the head of another walker before he realized all the shooting had seized. It was over, he realized, as he looked around. They had taken care of the walkers. With the panic lessening, he noticed Morales and his family rushing toward them. His wife was crying as Daryl handed the small girl off to her, the mom profusely thanking the man. Morales placed a hand on his shoulder, tears in his own eyes, in a sign of thanks before consoling his wife and children.
Daryl turned around and noticed Grace still behind him, still crying. He checked her over once, noting all the blood and guts now covering her. He grabbed her by her upper arms.
"Were you bitten?" He asked, his voice hard.
She shook her head no, tears pooling in her eyes. He glanced down her body, looking for wounds. She had some blood on her legs, but he didn't see any open wounds so he figured it must have been someone else's blood. He looked at her face and noticed the new bruise on her jaw. He grasped her face in his hands, running his calloused fingers over the soft skin of her jaw.
Grace felt her face grow hot at the surprisingly intimate gesture.
"What happened now?" He asked, his voice low.
"Ed." She said, squeezing her eyes shut.
Daryl hissed in anger and released her jaw, looking around at the survivors for the bastard he was going to kill. He didn't see Ed, so he scanned the camp to see his dead body, half eaten, by the tent him and his family lived in. His face was heavily bruised, and Daryl didn't think the walkers did that. He was confused for a second.
"Shane took care of him." Grace whispered, looking up at Daryl with her big, blue eyes.
Daryl couldn't help but wish it had been him that got to beat the shit out of Ed.
Suddenly the cries of Andrea caught everyone's attention. Grace looked around Daryl's body to see Andrea hovering over Amy's body that was covered in blood as Amy struggled on the ground, running her fingers on Andrea's face. Grace felt her throat close up as she watched her friend struggling to hold onto her life. She let out a tiny sob and she felt tears begin to drip from her eyes.
"Amy?" She called out, her voice rough, "Amy!"
Daryl grabbed her and blocked her view of the scene.
"Don't look." He said, roughly.
"Amy!" She yelled out again, trying to break out of Daryl's grip to run to her friend's side. But Daryl held onto her tightly, continuing to block her view. He knew it was bad. The girl's throat had been ripped and her arm chewed. He knew how emotional Grace was, and he knew the girl wouldn't be able to handle seeing her friend like that. So he held her there as she struggled. Her small frame was nothing against his muscular, trained arms.
"You don't want to see that." He said. "Trust me."
He suddenly felt her body go limp as she gave up her struggle. Daryl had to tighten his hold on her as her legs barely kept her up. Tears poured from her eyes, mixing with the dirt and blood on her face. Daryl wondered whose blood was all over her, but didn't ask the girl who was overcome with emotions. So he just held her there as she cried, not wanting to drop her on the floor or let her see her friend. Glenn walked up besides them and wrapped an arm around Grace's shoulder. Daryl let the Asian boy take her from his grasp but continued to block the view of Amy with his body.
Daryl watched the girl cry in the chink's arms. He couldn't help but think back to how she had comforted him when he was worried about Merle. But he didn't know how to help her now. He didn't grow up with no hugs. His father would beat him if he even came home and Merle definitely didn't spread any love to him. He had grown up learning that crying was weakness, emotion was weakness, and that to be a man, you must never give a fuck. But he couldn't help but want to comfort the girl, maybe only because she had helped him before. So, he just stayed as he was, the noise of everyone's grief around him.
And that's how most of the night was spent.
It seemed that Grace had eventually tired herself from crying so much a while later. Glenn and her had sat down on the floor, holding each other as she cried from the loss of her friend. She was sitting limp in his lap, her head on his shoulder. Daryl watched the boy try to stand up and pick her up, but he wasn't strong enough to lift the girl.
Daryl almost wanted to laugh as he watched the Asian boy struggle with the small girl. But he didn't. Instead he pushed the boy out of the way and lifted her into his arms easily. She barely weighed a thing.
Glenn, seeing him about to lift her with such ease, blushed a bit from embarrassment.
"The orange tent." The boy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Daryl looked out at the camp. There were walker bodies everywhere and also dead members from the group. He hesitated for a second but then decided it was unsafe.
"Too far." He said. "Here, hold this for a second."
He maneuvered his backpack over to Glenn to hold as he juggled Grace in his arms. Once the backpack was in front of him, he was able to unzip it and pull out an emergency blanket, one that he had always kept as part of his camping kit. Glenn looked down into the backpack, taking note of the supplies. There were definitely enough things inside the backpack that hinted that there was a possibility that Daryl was not planning on returning with the group that day. Glenn figured that had been dependent on whether they had found Merle or not. Glenn looked at him closely but Daryl just met him with a glare. It was enough to keep him quiet.
Daryl moved closer to the RV and began to set the girl on the ground. He grabbed the backpack out of Glenn's hands and placed it on the ground before setting Grace's head on top of it, as if it were a pillow. He then tossed the blanket over her.
Glenn sat down next to the sleeping girl and nodded at Daryl. Daryl felt relieved that he was essentially now free from looking after the girl and made his way over to the front of the RV to assess the damage. He wanted to get over to his own tent and collect a few more of the things he had originally been okay with leaving behind. Before he could, Rick rallied him, T-dog, and Jim over. He told them the plan of how they were to bury the bodies of the ones they loved and burn the rest. He directed them to begin piling the bodies in those two groups. The three men nodded and began to do as he told them to.
And that's how the rest of Daryl's night was spent.
The next morning the bodies were almost done being piled into two groups. The group of the buried was small, but still a significant dent to their group. Daryl thought they might as well just burn them all. But he didn't question it. He just helped pile the bodies of their fellow camp members onto the back of his truck to take up the hill. As he pulled the dead body of Ed over, he realized he hadn't been shot in the head. He raised his axe to smash his head, when Carol stopped him.
"I'll do it." She said, grabbing the axe. "He was my husband."
Daryl nodded silently and watched as the woman bashed in the head of the one who had hurt her for years, taking out all her pain and frustration. He thought of his own father who used to abuse him. He wondered if he would be doing the same thing this woman was now...he figured he'd probably bashed his head in before he had actually died from the bites.
He walked away, letting the woman grieve alone.
Instead he grabbed another body from the floor. Not recognizing this one, he figured it was probably going to go in the burn pile. He dragged the damn thing by its leg and walked to where the pile was. He dropped the leg when he saw Grace, who he hadn't seen since last night. She was sitting next to one of the fallen walkers. A little confused, he picked the leg back up and dragged the thing over to where she was.
As he got closer, the girl looked up at him with her big eyes. He could see that she hadn't washed up yet. She was still covered in dirt and blood. The bruise on her cheek was fading, but the one on her jaw looked like it had grown overnight.
"Whadda ya' doin'?" He asked, throwing the leg down. "Get away from that thing."
Grace looked down at the woman, brushing the thin blonde hair from its face. She recognized her. It was one of the women who worked at the local government building back in her town. She didn't know her name, but she knew she lived off Marbury Street and had two children, a husband, and a dog. Her town was small and most everyone knew each other. But for some reason, she couldn't recall her name.
"Do you know her name?" Grace asked, her voice soft.
Daryl looked at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads, "No."
"Neither do I." She sighed. "But she lived in my town. She had children, a husband, a life. They all did. All these people were someone before this happened."
Daryl stayed quiet as he examined the girl. Maybe she was losing her mind.
"Just think about it, would you." She said, turning to look at him. "This could have easily been us, anyone of these people. And here we are, killing them as though they are ants crawling into our kitchen."
"Ya' can't think like that, anymore." He grunted. "Ya' just gotta think about survivin'."
"But isn't that what they're doing too?" She asked. "I don't know what this is. I can't even fathom how it started. But whatever disease they have makes them crave human flesh, our flesh. So they attack. To survive. But it's different for them. They don't think like us anymore. They're like animals. We know better. So why do we keep killing?"
"What choice do ya' have?" Daryl snapped, "Ya' kill or ya' get killed. Simple as that. Best ya' learn that now girl. Or ya' goin' end up like these 'people'."
"I guess you're right." She sighed, looking down. "I guess this is all a part of God's plan. I don't understand why he's doing this, but I've been taught not to question God."
"And ya' were taught not ta kill." Daryl said. "But sometimes things change."
Grace didn't reply and just continued to stroke the hair of the dead woman.
"Listen Grace." He said. "Ya' can sit here and pray, ask God why he did all of this, hope that he keeps ya' safe. But all that's gonna do is get ya' killed. Ain't no God watchin' over us now. So it's best ya' get up and forget about all this Jesus, preacher boy stuff and learn how to survive."
"Everyone thinks I'm this little girl who can't take care of herself." Grace said, not meeting his eyes."I'm not going to give up my faith, Daryl. No matter what God throws at me, I can't. I just can't. I don't care if that makes you guys think I'm stupid or naive. I need it, it's-it's all that I have left of my father."
Daryl was a little uncomfortable with her speech. He didn't do well with emotions and people's feelings.
"If ya' don't wanna' be treated like them children," He said. "Than ya' gotta stop actin' like the children. Ya' gotta toughen up. Stop ya' crying, stop ya' fits about killin'. It's not just about survivin' but being a survivor. Them walkers won't hesitate to kill ya' and ya' can't hesitate either. Pray all ya' want, but when it comes ta killin' ya' don't question it, ya' just do it."
Grace took it all in with silence before standing up, grimacing a bit as she placed some weight on her ankle and facing him.
"Will you teach me?" She asked suddenly. "How to kill them?"
Daryl glanced her over for a second, studying her face. Long eyelashes framed determined eyes, her eyebrows pulled together as she waited for his answer. He wanted to say no. The girl had already warmed up enough to him, treating him like she did. And when he found himself worrying about her, if only a little, last night, he didn't want to form any more attachments to her. This world wasn't meant for things like that. But as he looked at her face and met her eyes, the answer slipped from his lips before he could even think about it.
"Yeah." He said. "Yeah, I'll teach ya'."
Grace smiled at him but Daryl just looked away. He heard her sigh a little and the sound of her voice surprised him. He figured she would leave.
"What happened to Merle?" She asked, realizing she hadn't seen him around.
"Bastard cut his hand off and ran." He said. "Couldn't find him."
Her eyes widened in shock, "Guess he is as tough as you said. Nothing can kill Merle except Merle right?"
"Nothin' can kill Merle except Merle." He echoed.
"Do you think he'll head back here?" She asked.
"He stole the van." Daryl said. "If he'd been comin' back, he would've been 'ere already."
"Doubt he'd want to come back to the people he thought tried to kill him." She said.
Daryl agreed with her.
"Son 'o bitch left me here with ya'll." He joked.
It was the first time Grace had ever heard him joke around and she couldn't help but giggle.
"Couldn't leave if you tried." She said. "You love us so much already."
Daryl smirked knowing that statement was far from the truth, "I'm sure what I feel is love."
Grace giggled some more, sensing his sarcasm.
She laughed, "But I'll leave you alone now, so you can go back to doing what you were."
She went to walk away and Daryl couldn't help but glance at her. She was still limping. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh before stalking up to the girl and hoisting one of her arms around his shoulder. She looked up at him in surprise but he didn't say anything, just helped her walk over to one of the chairs.
Once she was seated, he walked off before he let himself think of her for even one more second.
The group stood on the upper field where Jim had dug those holes, enough for all the dead bodies of their loved ones. She felt a chill go through her spine as she thought about it. She had finally cleaned herself up and was in new clothes. This time, a pair of jeans that miraculously fit her, tucked into her heavy boots and another tank-top. Andrea was still crying, trying to lift Amy's body into the grave, refusing help. The sight brought fresh tears to Grace's eyes, so she looked away.
She turned her head to see Daryl staring at her intently. His stare caused her cheeks to turn a light pink. Their eyes met in a swirl of blue and for a moment, she just focused on his face. The way the dirt clung to his face, emphasizing his bone structure, and that hardness in his eyes, a stark contrast to the lightness in her own. She took noticed of the way his lips seemed to tug downwards, as if in a permanent frown and the way-
"Hey Grace." Lori said, grabbing her attention, "Do you mind, uh, saying a few words for those we lost? I mean, as a preacher's daughter…it would just make some of us feel a little bit better."
Grace nodded her head slowly as the group watched her walk to the front. She could still feel Daryl's eyes on her. She closed her own blue ones for a second, thinking about all the funeral services she had been to with her father.
"We are gathered here today, to say farewell to those we loved and lost, and to commit them into the hands of God." She said, a little unsure. She opened her eyes to see Carol, one of the more religious people in the group give her an encouraging nod as she held her daughter close. Feeling more confident, she continued.
"Lord, our God, you are the source of life. In you we live and move and have our being. Keep us in life and death, in your love, and by your grace, lead us to your kingdom. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord." She said, following with an "Amen" that was echoed by the religious people in the group, Morales and his family, Carol and her daughter, Lori's family, and Dale.
She was surprised how much she had remembered from just watching her father and continued with a funeral prayer, "Oh Lord God, who has created us and called us to come home to you. Give us hearts of wisdom, that we may understand how short life is and thus receive every new day as a gift. Give us a living faith in your Son Jesus Christ, who suffered death for our sins, who rose from the grave to give us hope and who lives forever. Teach us daily to die from sin and to live according to your holy will. At the moment of our death, make us ready to depart in peace. And when the eternal day of resurrection dawns upon the graves of the earth, grant us grace to rise to eternal life."
She again finished with an "Amen" that was echoed by the religious people in the group.
"Does anyone have any words for the fallen?" She asked, looking around the group.
Andrea was too overcome with emotions to say anything about Amy, and it didn't seem as though Carol was going to say anything about her dead husband, not that Grace blamed her. Everyone one else was put in a trance by Grace's prayers and were looking at her with sad eyes.
"I would like to say something about Amy." Grace said when no one stepped forward. Andrea glanced up at her for a second and gave her a slight nod.
"I didn't know Amy for long," She said, "But in our short days here, Amy became a friend to me. She was a kind girl, welcoming, friendly, but most importantly, caring. She cared for her family, for her friends, and for the people she met here. I know some of you don't believe in heaven, but we all must have faith that she is in a better place-that they all are."
Andrea looked down, wiping some tears off her face and Dale gave Grace a kind-hearted smile. She smiled at the two of them and continued on with their small, unofficial service.
To finish up the service, she finished with a blessing, "Receive the Lord's blessing. The Lord blesses you and watches over you. The Lord makes his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord looks kindly on you and gives you peace; In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
"Amen." The group finished up.
She limped back to her spot next to Glenn as Carol and Lori patted her on the back. Grace smiled up at them, happy to have helped lift their spirits.
Glenn smiled down at her when she walked back to his side. With Amy gone, they were the last teenagers left. And with everything that happened, they couldn't help but cling to each other as if they were the last two people in the world.
"Where do we go from here?" She asked him.
"I don't know, Grace." He answered, frowning a little, "I guess we go back to what we've been doing."
"And what is that?"
"Surviving." He said, determination in his brown eyes, "We just got to keep surviving."
Author's Note: Revised ! So sorry about those who aren't religious and read through the funeral scene haha. I'm personally not a Christian, but since Grace is, I figured Lori and Carol would have asked her to say some prayers and blessings at the funeral since they are both kinda religious, at least during this season and she is a preacher's daughter. Anyways, Daryl and Grace are finally starting to interact more and I know Daryl's harsh behavior wasn't as present in this chapter, but during this episode he did appear a little more calm, understanding that everyone was hurting. And I think he's still hurting about his brother too so his personality is a little off. Next chapter, things are going to get a little rough. I'm hoping to finish through the CDC and get to the end of season 1. There will be plenty of Daryl-Grace interaction as things get a little more serious and intense. So definitely look out for that!