Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.
Her Angel, His Strength
2 Guts
Daryl walked so silently, that if she were to stop looking at him, she would probably get lost. While she could walk quietly in the woods, it was nothing compared to him, as sometimes she'd accidentally step on a twig, or crouch on dead leaves, but he never complained.
They had been following some trail of a buck Daryl had picked up a day ago. He had killed a few squirrels; however, she always made a point of not looking, as it always made her sad. She knew they need it to eat, and she was okay with it already skinned, but she could not bear to watch it. It seemed to amuse Daryl; nonetheless, he never called her on it. For that, she was grateful, as she was sure Merle would.
The sky was getting dark when Daryl suddenly motioned for her to stop. She knew they were far into the woods, and unless they walked all night, they wouldn't make it back to camp that day.
"We sleep here." He said, and she nodded, walking around to gather a few sticks for a fire while he started to skin two squirrels for them.
They ate in silence, neither uncomfortable with it. She appreciated the fact that Daryl did not have the need of pointless chatter to fill in the silence. While she enjoyed it with Glenn, it wasn't something she needed to fell contended.
"Ya said ya didn't know what happened to your family." It was a statement, so she just nodded. "Ya think they alive?" It was a cruel question, he knew that, but there was no way around it. He knew she could survive in the woods with her knowledge of the plants and she could defend herself with her choice weapon, but he had never seen her kill anything, in fact, she'd always cringe when one of his bolts found its prey, therefore he guessed she had never even killed a walker. She was a petite woman, young and frail looking. The first time he saw her walking around camp, he knew she'd be one of the first to go.
"I was the most dependent one of my family. So I'm sure that if I made it, there's no reason for them to be dead." He didn't voice his doubts on the matter, knowing it'd be pointless. She could use some hope even if he didn't have any. "Though I doubt I'll ever see them again…" She whispered into the night, holding her legs to her chest.
"Why?"
"They live in London." She said with a sad smile. "If I survive this and if we get back some kind of civilization… I'd need an airplane or in the least a ship to go back home." Now he understood her accent, he knew it was one he had never heard before. "Do you think this thing went all the way there?"
"Don't know." He thought that it probably did. Otherwise, there would be some kind of help, wouldn't it?
"Do you think they are back yet?"
"I suppose."
"Why did Merle volunteer? He told me you wanted to leave."
"His fix. Dumb ass is probably gettin' killed." She was surprised that Merle managed to use that kind of stuff with everything going on. He had better learn how to cope without it for she knew it would go back to bite him down the road.
"Nothing can kill Merle but Merle." She said quietly and a small smirk came to Daryl's face, though it disappeared soon after.
"Ya seem smitten by him." It sounded so much like an accusation she was startled.
"Smitten? Oh no, I just like his company." He glanced warily her way, biting his thumbnail.
"Must be the first."
"Why do you seem so against of my friendship with him?" Daryl shrugged and made no reply, refusing to meet her eyes. He did not know why he was against it. There were times he enjoyed it, like when the three of them talked into the night and she fell asleep in his sleeping bag. However, other times, when he saw Merle laughing at her punch, or when he kissed her forehead soundly and sloppy before going out to Atlanta, he got a strange tightening felling inside his belly. He did not like that feeling more than he liked how he seemed so attune with her actions. He did not like how his eyes would seek her out in camp before and after going for a hunt, he certainly did not like how close she was with the china kid, and he hated how comfortable it was for him to fall asleep with her against him. Ignoring those thoughts, he grunted:
"Git ta sleep." She nodded and rested against a tree, its roots serving as her bed. "I'll take first watch." She nodded again and closed her eyes, willing the sleep to come.
When Lily awoke, the sun was already up on the sky and Daryl was thrusting a cereal bar in her face as a good morning. She ate still half-asleep and watched with half lidden eyes as he gathered their things. When she asked why he didn't wake her up for her watch time, he merely shrugged and told her to hurry up.
They continued their track of the buck until they stopped into a clearing. It was such a beautiful set that Lily stopped breathing for a while. Daryl glanced her way when he noticed but made no comment about it. Her face said it all. For a second he thought about just watching her all day, for she seemed to fit in the scene so harmoniously that it was hard to turn his head away and kill the small buck peacefully eating away at the grass. He remembered thinking her anything but beautiful when he first saw her. Now, he knew he could never be more wrong. Without the blood, the bruises and with a little food and rest on her, she was by far the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
She turned her head slowly to look at him, and she had a beautiful, decadent smile on her face, knowing he would kill the animal and later she would enjoy eating it. Daryl frowned at the smile but did nothing to comfort her. It was stupid of her to be so against it. Was she a vegan before? She had better get used to it if she wanted to live.
Turning, he prepared his crossbow and got ready to shoot; from the corner of his eyes, he saw how she turned the other way, biting at her lip with a frown of her own.
The buck cried out and made a dash towards the woods, with Daryl and Lily following close behind.
"He's hurt. Won't be goin' too far." He said casually watching the grounds. Lily nodded, though did not comment on it. She was glad she had Daryl and Merle to hunt for the group. She knew she could not. Maybe if her life depended on it, she would try, and probably get over with it, but it always made her sad to see.
Apparently, Bambi had more fight in him than the two of them thought, for they came closer and closer towards camp. It was good, though, as they would not have to carry it all the way back.
Daryl came to an abruptly stop, making Lily crash into him. He scowled at her and motioned for her to stay silent. He knelt into the ground and brushed a few leaves out of the way. There was someone following their buck. Daryl was almost sure it was a walker for the left footprint was slightly unsteady, as if the person had a broken foot.
He moved silently, with all his senses alert, but when he noticed it was coming after the deer, he started walking quickly. Lily followed nervously after him, observing his awareness of something she had no idea what it was. It occurred to question him, but when following a track, Daryl didn't like having his concentration broken and would always reply with a snap. So with her mouth shut, she thrusted in him to take her back home. Daryl, though, was more concerned with her than with the buck they now followed. If there were walkers around, he knew he'd have to watch over her. Somehow, the idea wasn't so revolting to him as he first thought it would be.
If there's no one reading, there will be no update.
English is not my mother tongue, if you find a mistake, please let me know.
Thank you,
Mel.
