Heart of Dixon

Chapter 12: Hero

I do not own the Walking Dead, just Bitty.

Daryl's POV

I got up in Shane's face, "That ain't Bitty, I'm telling you!" I really hoped that bastard was wrong. No way could that be my Bitty down there. She was alive somewhere, most likely with the little girl. My Bitty wouldn't die from that, she was too strong. I didn't even care about thinking of her as my Bitty. Yea, she was my Bitty, and nothing was going to hurt my Bitty. Nothing was going to take her away. Good Lord, I sound like a fucking sap.

I didn't wait for Shane to say anything else, or for Rick to stop me. I began to climb down the tall bank to her body. I heard them try to stop me, but I didn't listen. I was going to show them that it wasn't Bitty. I passed the rock with the blood on it; there weren't enough blood on it to show that it killed her. I looked back to see them following me, Rick in front followed by the Chinaman then Shane who was huffing about how the body was Bitty's. When I finally got close, I didn't hesitant to flip it over, but I did it as careful as I could in case it was Bitty.

Its face was smashed in, but I out at a sigh of relief, it wasn't her. It was a walker, a fresh one. The poor bastard could have died two or three days ago, but it wasn't Bitty. The hoodie that Bitty wore this morning was different from the walker's hoodie. Bitty's said "free the saints!"; the walker's had some college on it. The walker was taller than Bitty too.

"Man, don't do this to yourself." Shane sighed. What the hell?! Anyone could see that this wasn't Bitty!

"This ain't her!" I growled, "Any fool with eyes can see that it's a damn walker."

"It's Robin, man, she's just dirty from the fall." Shane snapped.

Rick looked from me to Shane then to the body. He sighed.

"Daryl, what if it is her?" He frowned.

"Check her inner right ankle!" The Chinaman said hurriedly.

"Why her ankle?" Rick quirked a brow.

"Robin has a Black Parade conductor tattoo on her right ankle." The Chinaman smiled. I didn't like his smile or how he knew about her having a tattoo and I didn't. Damn it, don't be jealous. Like an ugly fuck like you'd get Bitty.

I tugged up her pants leg, I even removed its sock and shoe to be sure. Underneath was nothing but a rotting ankle with no ink. Even though I was positive it wasn't Bitty, I still let out another sigh of relief. I turned to the group so they could see the bare ankle better.

"Looks like it ain't her." Shane sighed. He sounded actually disappointed.

"I told you it ain't her, but you didn't want to listen." I narrowed my eyes on him.

"If this isn't Robin, then where is she and why isn't her crowbar with her?" Rick frowned even more.

I was wondering the same thing…

Rick and I kept looking after Shane and Glenn left. We followed the faint trail after Sophia but we haven't seen any other sign from Bitty. I couldn't help but wonder where she was. If she did fall from the bank then she'd be really hurt. I didn't like the thought of her hurt out in these woods without a weapon. I just hoped we would stumble on her trail.

I also couldn't help but notice how Shane was so ready to accept the body was Bitty's. He didn't even want to go down and check. What if it had been her and she was just hurt? We could have almost left her when she needed us most. Or worse, never found out that it was a walker and she'd really be out there needing us.

"Tracks are gone." Rick said suddenly.

"No, they're just faint, but they ain't gone." I was walking looking at the tiny footprints, "She came through here."

"How can you tell? All I see is dirt and grass." Rick was trying to make some conversation. I hated talking, 'cause I wasn't good at it. I liked being alone or just listening. So far the only person I could stand talking to was Bitty.

"You want a lesson in tracking or do you want to find this little girl and get our ass of that interstate?" I mumbled. He didn't say anything but followed me in silence for a moment. I let out an aggravated sigh when he spoke up again.

"I've been thinking about Robin. If she got up from that fall, why didn't she make it back to the group?" He said is carefully.

"You thinkin' she's dead and we should give up?" I turned to him with a scowl.

"I'm thinking she might be hurt or lost…" I had a feeling he might have something else to say.

"Or what?" I frowned.

"Or someone might have her. Something about it all doesn't sit right with me." He explained.

"She's fine and waiting for us. You forget that she survived on her own from the very beginning. She's a tough 'ole Bitty." I got back to following Sophia's tracks.

"You seem to have bonded with her better than anyone else in the group." Rick pointed out.

"She's closer to you than me. Remember, you adopted her. You probably know her better than I do." I rolled my eyes. I really wish he didn't know her that good.

"Robin isn't much of a conversationalist. Usually when we talked she acted really awkward like she didn't know how to interact." Rick laughed lightly, "But since we've joined the group, she's been all about you."

I stopped and turned to Rick again, "What you mean 'all about me'?"

"When we talking about how to tell you about Merle, Amy wanted to lie and tell you that Merle just died. Robin said to everyone that she wouldn't let anyone lie to you, if we tried she would have told you right away."

"She also told us not to blame you for getting pissed; she'd be the same if it was her brother. She cares about you, you know. She won't let anyone kick you out, or she'd go with you. Anyway no one can survive on their own these days, its best to stick together."

"Robin can. But she's been surviving alone for such a long time." We might back to tracking without saying anything else. I didn't want to talk again unless it was necessary. I just wanted to find this little girl then look for Bitty.

We heard a noise off to our left; we crouched down and waited for it to get closer without talking. Down in a creek was an old ugly fuck of a walker still wearing the suit it wore the day it changed. I motioned for Rick to distract it while I went behind it and shot it. It went down really easy.

"Sophia!" I yelled out beside the walker, "Bitty!" Please answer damn it!

I turned back to Rick and watched him pull out a pair of gloves from his back pocket. He checks its hands then he leaned down opening the walker's mouth, a large wave a nasty came from its mouth.

"What you looking for?" I asked.

"There is skin under its finger nails." He replied checking it out.

There's many different kinds of skin and you really couldn't tell how long it been there. It could be an animal or some unlucky bastard he ate a few days back.

Looking at its mouth and teeth, "It fed recently." He yanked something out from its teeth, "There's flesh still caught in its teeth."

"Yea, what kind of flesh?" I leaned close to his hand. I didn't care if it smelled something awful.

"There's only one way to know for sure." He pulled out a little knife that's blade was probably dull. It would take forever if he'd try to cut the son of a bitch open.

I stopped him before he could stab it, "Here, I'll do it." I put on my gloves before standing over the walker pulling and I pulled my knife out.

"How many kills you skin and gutted in your life?" Probably not a single one. I doubt the cop ever been hunting. I went out hunting since I could walk and hold up a weapon. Growing up, my dad spent all the money on beer and sluts. Merle didn't help out either, whatever money he got was on drugs and whores. I went out hunting so we wouldn't starve.

"Besides mine's sharper." I said. I plunged the knife in its gut and started to saw away. Right away the smell of right came out. It smelled really bad, but I didn't show it. I thought about the CDC when I woke up holding Robin. She felt so soft wrapped up in my arms and she smelled so fucking good. She smelled like the shampoo. I didn't pay attention to what the scent was, and I didn't have a clue what to name her smell-but I know she smelt like flowers. Soft flowers.

If I wasn't so mortified about holding her and my hard on pressed into her thigh-and if I wasn't such a pussy, I would have held her closer. She'd probably call me a pervert and push me away. Ain't no girl ever want a Dixon holding them and a Dixon don't cuddle girls. I didn't do that whole feeling thing. If I fucked a girl, then the next day-right after I was gone.

I tried not to laugh when I saw Rick's face. He was trying to act tough, like the whole cutting open a walker wasn't bothering him. The smell wasn't that bad, smelled worse shit before. Like the two months we didn't have water at home. It was also the time dad decided not to get out a bed for nothing that included to piss. I had to bring him everything, I got used to the smell and the bugs after a while.

I pushed my hand in the body. I found its stomach, it felt really full, "I can feel it. Hoss had himself a big meal." I yanked the gut bag out and tossed it to him.

"I got this." Rick said toughly, he wanted to win back his dignity and prove himself. He cut it open and dug around with his knife. The smell coming out of its stomach wasn't any better from its body. It was worse. Rick was fighting back a gag the whole time he dug around in the bag.

I saw something in all the black goop in the bag that Rick was looking at. I stabbed my knife on to and looked at it, "Looks like the bastard had a woodchuck for lunch." Man, I wish I had it before he did; I haven't eaten a woodchuck in so long.

"At least we know." Rick said like he was justifying it. Must be tearing him up that he just watched me cut open the fucker.

"At least we know." I repeated. I wasn't bother by cutting him open. I was just glad I didn't cut it open and find a piece of that little girl or Bitty. I don't know what I'd do if I found even the smallest piece of her inside it.

"We should be heading back. Sun's going down and we don't want to get lost." Rick waited for me to say something.

"Fine by me. We can pick up the search tomorrow morning." I walked off to get back to the highway.

"We can get more people involved." Rick went on about his plan, "I want you to oversee this."

I freeze and turn to him, "Why the hell you want me to be in charge of this? Ain't you the leader?"

Rick stopped too, "I'm the leader of the group but you're the best tracker. If you lead this, we'll find them faster. That's what we want to do right, find them as fast as possible."

"Yea." I tried to play it off as if it was nothing, but the whole damn thing shocked the hell out of me. No one would ever leave a Dixon in charge of anything, let alone finding a little girl. But I was the best tracker in the group, if anyone else did it, we'd probably lose more people. He wasn't doing it because he trusted me, he was just using me.

"So you'll do it?" He asked. He was walking behind me again.

"Might as well, y'all can't track for shit." I mumbled

We made it back to the highway where the group was waiting. They all looked disappointed when it was just the two of us that came back. Carol freaked out and cried. All her frustration and anger was directed right at Rick, the man that went out and tried to save her little girl.

"Out in the dark's no good. We'd just be tripping over ourselves. More people get lost." I said in my best nice voice. I didn't know why I helped Rick, I didn't even like the man, but it felt right.

Carol gave me a pitiful look and more tears slid down her face, "But she's 12. She can't be out there on her own." She begged me.

She turned to Rick with a slightly meaner tone, "You didn't find anything?"

"I know this is hard, but I'm asking you not to panic. We know she's out there." Rick looked so guilty that I had to help him again and Carol's pitiful face was getting to me.

"And we tracked her for a while." I used the same nice voice from before.

"We have to make this an organized effort. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I asked him to oversee this."

Carol seemed calmer about that until she looked over and said, "Is that blood?" Shit!

She started to hyperventilate when she looked at it. I could practically see her thinking about us lying that we find her as a walker. Why didn't I clean off the damn blood, or rub dirt on the spot?

"We took down a walker." Rick sighed.

"A walker? Oh my God." Carol started hyperventilating again. What could I to say to calm this woman down?! There ain't any proof that Sophia was hurt. For all we know she's in some farmhouse with Bitty.

"There was so sign that it was anywhere near Sophia." Rick tried to look her in the face but Carol wouldn't let him.

"How can you know that?" Andrea said. Why didn't she have to say something?

After everyone looked up questioning us I said something, "We cut the son of a bitch open. Made sure."

Carol sat down and looked at Rick with the most hateful look, "How could you just leave her there to begin with? How could Robin leave her? How could y'all just leave her?"

"There was two walkers on us. Robin and I made a choice, we had to draw them off." Rick's voice broke up with emotion, "It was her best chance."

"Sounds like they didn't have a choice, Carol." Shane stepped up to help.

"How she is supposed to find her way back on her own?" Carol sobbed asking Rick, "She's just a child."

After hearing her sobs, I felt like going out there again right then. I wanted to find Sophia for her. But I felt angry that no one was even worried about Bitty, instead they were blaming her just like they were blaming Rick. Bitty fell about ten feet and was somewhere in those woods hurt, maybe had a concussion and no one said a word about her, except for me.

Rick went off to clear his head and they rest went off to do their thing. I walked around a bit too. I wasn't really paying any attention to where I was going until I wide up by a large truck. Stuck behind a wheel was a faded and worn purple backpack covered in pins and patches. I knew it was Bitty's from anywhere; she always had the thing near. Two other bags were right next to it, one filled with girly shit and another filled with man clothes and had two packs of cigs.

"Hey Daryl." Rick came up behind me. He sounded defeated.

"You still blaming yourself?" I asked.

"Are Sophia and Robin still missing?" Rick answered with a question.

I nodded, "For what it's worth, Bitty wouldn't want you to blame yourself. And ya shouldn't, they'll be fine and we're going to find them. I'll find them."

Rick nodded slowly at first then nodded firmly, "We'll find them."

"Yes, we will." I brushed past him only for him to grab my arm. I yanked it out of his hand quickly and scowl at him.

"Calm down, I just wanted to know where you're sleeping tonight." He held up his hands and chuckled.

"Why? You want to cuddle up to me? I don't do that gay bromance shit!" I snapped. I didn't like how he thought he was close enough that he could touch me now. No body touches me…well maybe Bitty can, but nobody else does.

"Bromance? You're starting to sound like Robin now." Rick laughed and walked off.

"I didn't even answer you stupid question!" I scowled; I didn't like being laughed at.

"OK, where are you sleeping?" Rick laughed again.

"I'm going be sleeping in this trunk. Doors will be locked, so no walkers will get in if they pass by." I answered.

"Alright, night Daryl." Rick waved and went off.

Luckily the trunk was unlocked; I didn't want to break a window leaving the walkers a chance to get to me. The trunk was one of those large ones that had a back seat big enough to be a comfortable bed. I locked the doors and made myself comfortable in the back. I made me a pillow by grabbing all her clothes since they smelled like Bitty.

I dug through her backpack. Yea, it was wrong but I was curious and what she didn't know didn't hurt her. And don't think I'm a pussy but I wanted have something close to her. I found all her Harry Potter books and her Zombie Survival Guide. I flipped through it looking at notes she put in the margins. By the section on crossbow she wrote, 'Daryl kicks ass with a crossbow!'. I didn't fight the smirk that popped on my face seeing her chicken scratch called hand writing.

I found her notebook and tons of pens and pencils at the bottom of her bag. Holding the book made me nervous for some reason. No doubt Bitty put down how she really felt about me. Did she hate me or care about me…could she lo-no! Enough Daryl, this ain't no fairy tale where you get the girl. Beside you don't have any feelings for that girl. You just want to find her and look after her because you feel like you owe her brother. That's all so get that stuck in your damn brain.

I shoved the book back into her bag and was about to fall asleep when a picture fell out of the book. It was Bitty wearing a white dress sitting on a blanket under a tree. She looked so nice with the way the sun was shining down on her. This reminded me of how I first saw the pictures of her, I didn't fall for her or nothing, I just liked her face. I wondered about who she was or what she did. Now that I knew her, I always wanted her around. Not that I was going to tell her that, she wouldn't shut up about it if I did.

I was going to find her; it was too quiet around camp without her. When I get her back I'm going to yell out her for doing something so stupid and getting herself lost. For now on, I'd keep my eye on her. Ain't no more running off being a hero!

So the body wasn't Robin's. But where is she? Unfortunately you won't find out for about two or three more chapters because they're going to be in Daryl's POV. Muhahahahhahaha!

'Til next time! :) I love your faces!