(so this will be a really long chapter i would like to say, um so yeah hopefully you guys will like this long chapter! it has the prison group finally :D oh and one more thing, i understand people are not always fans of some fanfic's which is cool but a review wouldn't do a harm? even if it is something like "not the biggest fan of this story, sorry" or some tips on how to improve then those are perfectly fine by me :).)
Daryl was slowly stepping around the verdant lawn of the prison, a measly few feet away from the brim of the towering fence that protected the group. He firmly held his crossbow in his well built arms, poised and ready to attack if need be it. His wary azure eyes were narrowed to small slits, gaze keen and alert, as always. His tanned features were worn with the cruel way the world had treated him throughout all of his troublesome life, even more so now.
His thoughts unwillingly drifted back to his rough and tumble brother, Merle. A muddled image of his sibling reached the surface of his mind, his expression twisting to one that was firm, solid, and seemingly emotionless. He knew that no one could kill Merle, but Merle.
He had informed his younger brother countless times of that fact. As the hotheaded redneck set foot in the front of the land, he was surprised to hear a faint panting from somewhere in the distance, but the realization didn't show on his stressed complexion. His broad frame tensed, irises sweeping across the area until they fell on a girl limping heavily towards him, dull crimson liquid soaking through her tarnished jeans.
He slowly approached, knowing deep down that he would regret the simple action later. Daryl eyed the seemingly agile girl dubiously, one brow quirking as he watched her pull the knife from its sheathe and swiftly kill the walker, all in one swift movement. A lot of the woman in his small group couldn't handle themselves half as well as that, and he immediately pushed away the fact that he was clearly impressed as soon as the realization transpired.
He continued advancing towards the brim of the fence, his grasp on the crossbow resting in his calloused palm instinctively tightening. The soles of his heavy boots crunched beneath the grass, breaking the thick silence, save the sound of biters growling in somewhere off in the distance.
The hick stared down at her through the wire that tied the barrier together, easily forcing himself to remain silent. He didn't see the point in speaking, he was well aware that whatever he would mutter would wind up being offensive in one way or another. He mentally winced as a glimpse of her bloodied jeans flashed across his vision, the injury seemed much more fatal up close. Finally deciding to break the silence, she bites her bottom lip "well you have three choices. You can either take me in, leave me out her like some shiskabob or just shoot those lovely arrows in between my eyes" the mysterious girl finally piped up.
Daryl let out a gruff sigh before allowing the arm holding his crossbow to swing back to his side, he glanced over her shoulder, watching as the duet of biters slowly approached her, nearly tripping over themselves multiple times in the process. "The better option would be me puttin' an arrow through your skull," he bantered irritably, aggravated that he was the one who wound up having to deal with this situation.
He allowed the thought of sharply turning on his heel and walking away from the scenario to slip through his mind, but he hurriedly pushed the option away. She seemed like she could handle herself well enough, considering how quickly she had slaughtered those biters a measly few seconds ago, but the reality of the dead roaming the globe didn't quite give him an excuse to loose the small shred of humanity that remained somewhere deep within him.
"yeah well if you want it so badly, make me a target practice" she joked, running her fingers through her hair. Daryl's azure irises narrowed to small, suspicious slits, feeling anger well from somewhere in the depths of his stomach. He raked a hand through his thin, dusty colored hair, lips compressing to a slender line.
He figured that he should calm his persistent rage before shit hit the fan, the petite girl poised on the other side of the sturdy fence seemed strong enough to knock him straight onto his ass. "Keep givin' me that attitude, and I might consider it," he growled, briefly looking over his shoulder for the last time at the prison looming behind him, using that moment to make a final decision
"well?" the girl asked softly once she was done killing the two walkers with ease even though it was clear that she was in pain. He threw a brief glance at the prison, considering whether or not he should go and get Rick, the unofficial group leader, and tell him about the trouble that he had run into. He immediately shook the forethought away, the redneck could handle himself, he didn't need some prick always making decisions for him.
While he was a child, Merle taught him how to be strong, independent, his brother had constantly drilled the reality that he was always alone if he wasn't with his big brother into his thick head. "You get bit?" He questioned, his low voice outlined in a faint southern accent. "if I was would I have made it here?" She asked, walking back over to the fence "just some minor cuts and stuff" she shrugged as if no big deal while really it was.
He heaved open the entrance, frantically motioning for her to step inside. "C'mon, ain't got all day," he grunted, stepping out of her way. The redneck didn't comment on her reassurance about her injuries being mere cuts and scrapes, he would let Hershel be the judge of that. Immediately after she stepped inside, he pointed his crossbow at her, arrow at the ready to shoot if she made a move to harm anyone. "Let's go," he nodded, his sturdy figure tense and rigid, prepared to dodge if she attempted to attack him.
"temper now" she said, smirking as she walked inside, looking back over to make sure no one was following her, raising an eyebrow slightly and looking at the redneck and then at the cross bow pointed at her "ok but it would be nice if you could at least point that to my chest" she said, softly chuckling as she started to walk, shoving her hands into her jean pockets.
Daryl lowly grunted at her aggravated offer, forcing back his relief at the sudden wind that had begun to whirl around the verdant yard, cooling his heated skin. "You say somethin'?" He grumbled, following a measly foot behind the seemingly nonchalant girl. "Nothing, nothing" she said softly, looking down at the ground as she kicked a rock under her feet. Once he made sure that she was looking somewhere, anywhere else but him, he slowly lowered his crossbow to her chest, careful to keep his actions unnoticed.
The last thing that he wanted was for her to wind up appreciating him for the mere action, he wasn't here to make friends. He led her up to the heavy threshold of the prison, lazily kicking the door open with the tip of his tarnished boot. Daryl's keen eyes hurriedly scanned the halls before motioning for her to come inside, skeptically watching her as she idly stepped in front of him.
"Who did that to you?" He questioned under his breath, figuring that he should get some of the obvious information that Rick needed beforehand. His features twisted into his trademark scowl as he remembered what had happened to Glenn and Maggie, dragged off to some place called Woodbury, being held captive there like cornered rats. The thought bothered him, but he hurriedly brushed his irritation away, knowing it was best if he kept his temper at bay.
he saw the girl look back at him, hearing a scoff escape her lips "crazy son of a b..|tch was trying to kill me" she told him, shaking her head "if any more details, someone told him to do so but he missed my head and hit me in the arm and leg and my hip" she explained to him. Daryl felt annoyance prick beneath his skin as she leisurely glanced around the rustic walls, gently prodding her back with the front of his crossbow. "Keep movin'," he ordered sourly, wanting nothing more than to get to the group and decide what to do with this mess that he had gotten himself caught up into.
The redneck knew, somewhere deep down in that battered and broken conscience of his, that he should of just left her there instead of causing all of these complications that were soon to come. "Crazy son of a b..|tch ?" He chuckled dryly, the bitter sound void of any and all humor. "That ain't too specific, there's a hell of a lot a people goin' haywire nowadays," he explained, leading her through a small clearing.
The prison was murky and humid, which didn't help with his already overheated body temperature. He let his guard down for a moment to rake a large hand through his sweat caked hair, forcing it away from his glistening forehead. He decided to keep quiet, Daryl had never been one for small talk, or measly conversation in general. And even if he had obviously earned his place here, that didn't change the fact that his temper was constantly boiling within the bowels of his stomach."well if you do count one without a hand then fine by me" she said softly
Daryl abruptly halted in his loud footsteps for a few heartbeats, feeling nausea curdle in the pit of his stomach at her words.
"What did you say?" he inquired lowly, his tone suspicious, and even the slightest bit unsure. He cared for his brother, hell, maybe even loved the bastard. Only, he wasn't sure if he was both mentally and physically prepared to face the pure brutality that Merle carried with him.
The name calling, reckless actions, harsh lessons, all of those meek actions didn't help to quench his flaming anger, to say the least. "That he's only got one hand?" He added, slowly rounding the next corner that led to their sturdy cell block and all he got was a nod of the girl's head as her answer. Even after the two of them strode through the heavy metal bars that guarded them all, he kept his crossbow carefully trained on the girl, cautious to keep his arms from quivering under the weight of his heavy weapon.
Eight eyes were locked firmly on the duet, and more importantly, on him. Daryl had been standing by Rick since practically the beginning, and was now 'a part of the family', so to speak. Though, he never found himself growing overly fond of all the attention that the name branded him with. "Found her outside, got a pretty bad bullet wound," he briefly explained, wanting nothing more than to flee back to the safety of his perch, out of the unfaltering spotlight
rick nods his head slowly, he actually wasn't needing anyone else in the group, more problems then ever "Hershel will look at her, Daryl can we talk?" He asked, giving him the look to either do it or else. Daryl eventually decided it best to lower his crossbow, letting out a quiet breath that he didn't realize that he had been holding in the first place.
The redneck watched in silence as she was hauled off by Hershel before slowly turning to Rick, his expression remaining a stern mask of tense, restless aggravation. He rolled his rigid shoulders, attempting to avoid Rick's glare boring into him. "You gonna say somethin'?" He asked, breaking the dense silence, save the sound of Carol restlessly tapping her fingers against the cold metal walls. He unwillingly found himself throwing brief glances at his perch, wanting nothing more than to retreat there, to the one place where it seemed as if the weight of the world wasn't on his shoulders.
He soundlessly slipped his lethal weapon onto his arm, his gaze nervously flicking over the group. He mentally scolded himself for doing something so mindless, by bringing this girl here, he had automatically put the lot of them at risk. They didn't know who she is, who she was, and much less what she was capable of.
"want to tell me why the hell you brought her in?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at him. waiting on his answer, as well as the whole group. they honestly don't need anything else more to cause drama, ever since the whole thing with Maggie and glenn, at the governor that wants to go into some crazy ass war. the last thing that they need is someone new to be in the group, and rick to get thrown into crazyville more
"how do you know she's not going to murder us all at night?" Daryl's grip tightened on the strap of his crossbow, averting his ignited blue irises to the chipped concrete beneath the heavy soles of his shoes. "And what was I supposed to do, huh?" He muttered, his tone holding a slight edge of anger. He sucked in a small breath through his nostrils, using the inhaled air to calm his unsettled nerves. "If I woulda left her there, she sure as hell would of wound up dead," he explained bitterly, shifting so that he was standing in a more comfortable position. "I've killed enough damned people,"
he brought his thumb to his lips, biting at an irritable hangnail there. He brushed off the stares and took a firm step backwards, throwing a short glance at Hershel as he emerged from the dim room. He attempted to ignore the sound of the suspicious girl quietly striding back into the area, her eyes firmly set on him as he spoke.
"I don't know anythin' about who she is, whether or not she's a threat, nothin'. Only one way to find out," he hinted, subtly tilting the crown of his head towards her. And with that he hurriedly shuffled off towards the side, finding himself somehow lodged in between Carol and Beth.
Rick looked over at the girl and sighed softly "how did you get here?" He asked, but got no response from her, only and soft chuckle, that only making rick's blood pressure go up. "Where else could I have come from? From the sky?" the dark haired shaking her head slightly. "Just answer the question" rick said sternly. Trying his best not to snap or something at the girl. "A town, woodbury" she said, making rick and possibly the whole group eyes widen
"woodbury" rick repeated while mystery girl nods her head "well no neverland that's for sure" she muttered, moving some of her hair out of her face. Daryl intently stared at the girl, his expression taking on its trademark scowl as she spoke. "You in cahoots with that damned governor?" He muttered, eyeing her suspiciously. After he had made the bold move of speaking up, the redneck immediately wanted to retreat back to the safety that silence brought with it, she scoffed at daryl's comment "not at all" she mumbles.
The air was thick like fog, looks like this group already has its encounter with the governor. "What happened to you?" She glanced at the cop and softly chuckled, merle was right about him. He wants to know everything even though the world is now . "what is this? Twenty questions?" She asked
"ok want to know what happened cop? Fine. I was at the town and was told to help out this but case and he tried to kill me because he was told to. And that nut case was merle fucking dixon, brother of your daryl" she said, just making the air more thick from tension "can I go now or are you going to feed me to the pack of walkers like im cat food?"His heated breath caught in his throat as he heard that cursed name escape her lips,
Merle
He took a step back, as if he was winded by her words. He had already been suspicious that his brother was responsible for her fatal injuries, considering the girl's comment that she had slurred while the two of them weaved through the rustic halls on the way here. Rick looked back at Daryl, feeling a tad sorry for him. Here he was, just finding out about his brother being alive now after a year ago he was left on top of a roof where t-dog handcuffed him and sawed his hand off.
Though he knows that this might put daryl into some pity for his brother being alive now, and more importantly that its probably with the governor. He raked a hand through his thin, dusty colored hair, gaze averting to the stains on his loose, mud covered jeans. Daryl's troubled eyes hurriedly scanned the group, some faces held pity within their expressions, others judgmental, some even indifferent.
He pursed his lips at their reactions, he didn't need their sadness. He knew that no one could kill Merle, but Merle. He let out an aggravated hiss, his palms clenching into tight fists. "What?!" He hollered, letting out a light curse as he tromped up the metal stairs, fleeing into a room where no one could bother him. Daryl restlessly paced back and forth, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Merle. His brother, he was alive. Hell, somewhere deep down within his battered and broken mind, he knew that, his sibling was practically invisible. No one had the ability to kill him, not even his father, no matter how forceful his beatings had been.
He felt enragement fester in his knotted stomach, causing his breath to come out short and choppy. The redneck suddenly let out a low growl, uneasily clenching and unclenching his fists before roughly slamming his knuckles into the wall. The action sent a throbbing agony all the way up to the tip of his tanned elbow, but he shook it off. He was used to the pain.
Daryl raked his large fingers through his damp hair, eventually mustering up enough peace to make his way back down the rusted grey stairs, not bothering to make eye contact with any of the group as he swept past. He finally slumped against a sturdy wall that was somewhat secluded from everyone, groggily staring at the girl, who was currently staring daggers at rick, seated atop the rickety table.
A realization dawned over him in that moment, her name was still unknown to him, and that measly fact annoyingly prodded at him for a reason that he couldn't place. "look, i understand that this is a bit...bad. but we can work things out?" She lightly chuckled to lighten things up but she still got that blank look from rick.
"What do you know?" He asked "know about what? Your group. Basics, you're rick the leader, have I believe a wife and son. Some guy name glenn, shane, dale and oh, t-dog, the guy that handcuffed him. He did a good thing there and of course, daryl. Merle never shut up about him" she shrugged a shoulder, looking at rick who was just emotionless.
Of course when she mentioned lori, it hit him. It was probably at least a week since she passed away.
"Tell me about Woodbury" rick looked at her, waiting for her to talk. "What do you want to know? Merle tried killing me, a girl that used to be in your group is playing around with the governor, andrea I believe" two of your people are there...the glenn guy and his girlfriend" she said, wondering what will happen if they hear that, rick didn't look back at her but at Daryl.
Since The shane thing happened, he made daryl his wingman with everything.
Daryl's jaw was firmly set, blue irises filled with words left unsaid. He threw a brief glance at the mysterious girl seated on the table, his expression shifting to one of slight amusement as she mentioned something about Andrea and the Governor screwing around. His tongue hurriedly slipped from his mouth to wet his cracked lips, his harsh features softening for a moment as he remembered her slight mention of Merle.
"They've got Glenn and Maggie?" He muttered gruffly, attempting to hold back the shock that threatened to burst from his throat in strangled coughs. He almost suggested that they load up and go get them, though, he knew that he was letting his urge to see his brother get in the way of his better judgment.
The girl nodded her head slowly at his comment "mhm, don't ask me why they got em, all I know is merle found them and took him. Why, I don't know, knowing him he is doing something to keep his ass alive for the governor "she faked smiled before sighing and looking to the cop
"listen Clifford the big red dog, to cut it simple, if you want the two of them to live, you have to go and get them" rick tried to not roll his eyes at her statement but just looked at her "could you lead us there?" He asked her "well I think so I mean, how the hell do you think I got here? On a dragon from a castle?" She shook her head.
Daryl listened intently to the conversation, idly chewing on an irritable hangnail, azure eyes keen and alert. His thin hair was slicked to his tanned forehead by sweat, dirt caked onto his worn complexion. He hurriedly dipped his head towards the ground as she stretched, ignoring the obvious feminine curves hiding beneath the fabric of her shirt. He could practically hear Merle urging him on, saying,
"Go on and get 'er, c'mon now, don't be a pansy ass, Darylena."
The hick cringed at the thought of his brother back in Woodbury, there was this odd feeling curdling in his nausea ridden stomach, telling him that something wasn't right. He had found that he got this strange sickening in his chest whenever his sibling was doing something that he wasn't supposed to, getting caught up in some sort of troubling problem.
Daryl couldn't trust this girl, he didn't know nearly anything about her. The thought of her staying with the group exactly give the redneck warm and fuzzies, but he wasn't about to let that fact show on his face. He clenched his fist behind his back, stretching the sore skin on his knuckles. His broad frame tensed at the sudden throbs pulsing through his hand, hurriedly releasing his iron grip.
"What are we supposed to call you, anyway? Can't go 'round callin' you girl..." He started, immediately wanting to shrink away from the conversation at the befuddled glares he got from the rushed statement. "hayley, nothing else" she softly replied. He didn't acknowledge her as Hayley introduced herself, he merely threw brief glances at her every so often, pondering over their options.
It seemed the only thing that they could do was force themselves to trust her, confide in this girl that they had met a measly thirty minutes ago. "We should go get 'em, can't leave 'em there," he muttered, cringing once he realized that he had stated the obvious. The atmosphere in the room suddenly got tense and sticky, the dense air becoming borderline suffocating. He nonchalantly adjusted the strap of his crossbow, hooking his thumb into the belt loop of his loose, sun bleached jeans.
"well then, if officer friendly doesn't want to sit on his ass all day until they serve him some cup of tea, then we can go now" she said, raising an eyebrow over at rick and smirked slightly. rick shook his head, the faster they get glenn and Maggie, the faster she can leave rick thought "we'll leave in ten" he said, nodding his head and looking over at daryl as he walked over to him
"think its a good idea?" he softly asked, think about it though. if the girl is from woodbury, she can probably ditch rick and the others, leaving them alone and to their death really. they don't know anything about her so how can they be so sure about it. Daryl let out a soft grunt at Rick's orders, pushing himself off of the cracked and aged wall, preparing to step away from the situation. "Think it's our only choice," he muttered, averting his pained gaze towards the concrete that blanketed the ground.
He threw the former police officer a short, almost reassuring glance before stalking off into the prison, gaze flicking around the dimly lit hallways as he walked. He hurriedly slipped a bolt into his crossbow as he heard the thick, wet gurgling of a nearby walker. The redneck jogged towards the noise, pulling the trigger to let the arrow loose as soon as the creature and its mangled flesh came into view. He yanked the arrow from its skull, sending debris left over from the attack splattering onto the aged floor.
The redneck suddenly wondered why he was wandering off through the dank corridors in the first place, only, deep down, he knew that for some strange reason he couldn't quite place, he was looking for Hayley. Perhaps it was her harsh humor that slightly reminded him of Merle, or maybe Daryl needed some sort of twisted reassurance that he could trust this girl
He shoved his side into one of the faded crimson doors, heaving the entrance open with a low huff. He let out a deep breath at the unfaltering heat and humidity that suddenly beat down on him, adding to the warmth that was already seeping through his skin. Daryl soundlessly approached the girl, emotionlessly watching the way that her hair was swept over her small shoulders by the wind, tumbling down her back in tousled, dark waves.
looking at daryl and kicking the ground with her boots. "are you out on duty to kill me or you have a heart and sparing me to live?" she asked "Little bit of both," he mumbled, leisurely stepping the rest of the way over to Hayley. The two of them stood there in a slightly awkward silence for a few minutes, his gaze aimlessly sweeping over the verdant lawn of the prison.
"How'd you find Woodbury?" He asked, attempting to get her to reveal bits and pieces of her past. He could practically feel the secrets rolling from her clouded demeanor, and that realization peaked his practically inaccessible interest. Hayley shook her head, chuckling lightly before staying quiet for a bit more, as if she was deciding how to answer his question right
"well it's a really long story, but I was there from the start you can say. was with a small group and was there when they took care of it and all. that's about it really, nothing fancy like merle being on the roof and running around Atlanta like it's a carnival" she chuckled. Daryl listened to her explanation, one end of his thin lips twitching in what seemed like a faint hint of a smile. "Sounds like Merle," he muttered, sliding his hand into the large pocket of his pants.
He silently debated whether or not he should open up to her, fess up the whole truth. He idly chewed the inside of his mouth for a few long moments, staring off at the distance with a somewhat distant, clouded expression etching its way onto his features. He slowly stepped a bit closer to her, careful to keep himself poised at least a foot away. Daryl roughly drove the tip of his tarnished boot into the ground, knocking loose a few rocks from the stale dirt. He took in a short breath, tasting the undeniable freshness that rain brought with it.
He spent most of his childhood toppling through the woods, hunting deer and any other animal he caught sight of to get his mind off of the turmoil waiting for him back home. He knew when a storm was coming, even when the sky held a seemingly unbreakable sapphire hue.
"It's gonna rain," he commented, keeping his eyes locked on the fence that barricaded their hideout. "let it rain then, it's not like we're sugar cubes and going to dissolve" she commented, letting the silence take over once more and it wasn't until it felt like hours for once again, the new girl to break the silence "what about you, how did you stumble upon this group? I mean merle told me that you lived out in the woods but never told me how you got there" she asked, looking up at daryl.
"When shit hit the fan, I was up in the mountains huntin' with Jess, our camp got overrun, we were the only ones left," he started, running a hand through his dusty hair. The redneck blinked as he realized how long it had gotten over the years, it was threatening to reach his shoulders by now. "Found Merle up on a roof, bastard was shootin' at everyone he saw, sayin' they were the Military," he scoffed, throwing a brief glance Hayley's way. "We were in the forest for awhile later on, came across the group... We didn't want no part in it, planned on robbin' 'em dry," he explained, allowing the still vivid memory to surface in his mind.
"Rick handcuffed Merle to a roof, and things went haywire from there, haven't seen him since," he finished, taking a few steps forward so that he was now standing with his back turned to the fair skinned girl, fingers wrapped delicately around the strap of his weapon, hearing a chuckle from the girl near him brother "close enough how we found him" she stretched before rubbing the back of her neck.
"he's alive and you should be glad about that" she said softly as she chewed on the inside of her cheek "the roof thing, the way merle explained it, was a bit funny. said how he was going to revenge on the guy that cuffed him and how, what was the name? t-dog? dropped the key and he will cuff him onto a roof and make sure he burns up on the roof" she said, nodding her head before sighing "nut case but not dumb" she softly mumbled before looking out on the field.
Daryl indifferently watched her, ignoring the persistent glare of the sun flashing over his vision. "Too much drugs and alcohol will do that to ya," he muttered, referring to the words of his nonsensical brother. He wanted to mutter that he was relieved his sibling was alive and well, but he never doubted Merle's ability to survive in the first place, so he kept his lips sealed. He tugged his crossbow further up his leather clad shoulder, leaving his palm firmly wrapped around the sturdy strap even after he had moved.
Hayley nods her head "well don't know how much he took but he's one bastard to make it out alive through it" she scoffed, shaking her head as she walked around the fence a bit. Daryl dipped his head towards the ground, anxiously drumming his fingers against the strap of his crossbow. "Merle's more than a tough bastard," he commented, allowing a low scoff to escape his throat.
Hayley nods her head "you have no idea" she muttered to herself before looking over and seeing the biters. geez they dont's stop?
"you would never have thought that you would do anything to have a chance to hear a highway packed with cars and yelling when stuck in traffic" she softly laughed, a faint smile on her face. "here we used to complain about the noise and now we complain about the silence, a bit funny if you think about it" she glanced back over at daryl before looking back forward
The redneck hurriedly averted his gaze towards the scuffed ground as she spoke, memories of his father's reddened face and spine chilling insults breaking through the depths of his mind. "Never cared much for noise," he muttered, another vivid image of his drunken parent sweeping across his thoughts, screaming horrid things to his son that he wouldn't remember the next morning. Daryl felt a sudden pang prick at his stomach, immediately recognizing the annoyance as abandonment, about Merle, no doubt.
He recalled that hollowness that had constantly clawed through his chest back in his teenage years, waking every day with the realization that his protector wasn't there for him anymore.
"really? well each one to their own" she softly said, kicking a rock under her foot as she sighed. looking down on the ground and then back at the redneck, "well, ever regret killing someone...that turned?" she asked all of the sudden "I don't know, parents, girlfriend, wife? child?" she rambled.
He threw a brief glance Hayley's way at her personal question, anonymous emotions suddenly flashing across his clouded irises. The hick remained silent for more than a few lingering heartbeats, staring at the small mass of walkers staggering against the fence, steadily making their way towards them. He leisurely stepped forward, yanking a jagged tipped bolt from its place and hammering it through the biters' skull, watching as the pallid creature toppled onto the dirt with bitter satisfaction.
Daryl twisted his body so that he could face Hayley, impatiently waiting for her to catch up to him. He sucked in a shallow breath through his nostrils, careful to keep the action subtle enough to where she wouldn't notice.
"My old man," he voiced once she approached, the words slipping past his lips as a measly grumble. "When this all started...we were scouting a creek, huge ass herd of walkers came through, he... Uh, he didn't make it," he explained, his gaze focused solely on the greenery wedged beneath the grooved soles of his hiking boots.
"Tried shooting him, couldn't make myself do it, Merle'd be callin' me a pansy ass for it, but it's done," he briefly paused, slipping his thumb into a belt loop on his loose fitted jeans. "My uncle Jess killed 'em, put a bullet in his brain," He wondered why the suspicious girl was asking these sudden curious inquiries, whether she meant to or not, the memories she caused to surface hit home, to say the least.
"What about you?" He asked under his breath, the statement sounding more reluctant than eager. Daryl stared at the walker's decapitated head for a few lingering heartbeats, his brows furrowed together in pure disgust. He couldn't help the relief that shuddered through him as she impaled it with her foot, dubiously staring at her afterward. glancing down at the ground for a brief moment before looking up at daryl,
Hayley shrugged a shoulder "well, on the day that everything went haywire, I broke up with my ex. it didn't last for I don't know, two hours and the first biter I killed was my ex" she said, nodding her head before lightly chuckling. "looks like I didn't think that I wished I could have hit him with pan would come true" she shook her head, moving stray hair out of her face and looking at him
"then I survived out on my own before meeting up with my sister, she was just eight. mom died before this happened so one day, I turned around for a second and next thing I heard was her screaming and then the rest you can figure out on your own"
"Sorry... About that, musta been hard," he murmured, quietly clearing his throat. He couldn't help but notice her small frame steadily growing tense as she told her story, hugging her malnourished arms to her chest. Hayley shook her head "don't be, trust me about that" she said softly, looking out over at the trees and woods
The redneck's eyes hurriedly skimmed over the tattoos she had printed there, an odd feeling of satisfaction rolling through his stomach. He immediately shoved the unwanted emotions away, locking them away with all the rest that he kept stored somewhere deep within his conscious. Daryl instead replaced his unexpected feelings with the fond warmth of anger, it was always easier that way.
"If I lost Merle..." He scoffed, the possibility sounding unbelievable even as he spoke. He knew that his brother was nearly invincible, if he was going to die, it would have happened already. "Hell, I don't know what I'd do."
"we never know what to do when we lose someone, we tell ourselves that nothing bad will happen but life is twisted...especially now that...we don't know what can happen anytime or any day." she said, glancing over at him and then back at prison, shaking her head slightly.
Daryl stared pensively at Hayley for a few brief heartbeats before curtly turning his attention elsewhere, staring through the metallic web of fence towering in front of him. He tilted his head in a subtle agreement to her words, his grip absentmindedly tightening on his crossbow. Was Merle truly alright? "I'm kinda relieved that the world went to shit," he muttered, uncomfortably clearing the bile that had risen in his throat.
The memories of his cruel father began to surface his mind, sending an unnoticeable fit of shudders down his spine. "Life was even worse back then," he mumbled, the gruff words hardly audible. "I have a feeling" she softly mumbled before shrugging a shoulder, she went over to the entrance of the fence and looked over at daryl "either you get your cop to come, or im going now" she told him, leaning against it as she put her hands behind her head "the more time we waste the more things the governor can do to them, simple as that" she softly said.
His parted lips twitched in a faint smile at her urgent words, staring towards the looming figure of the prison with feigned interest. In all honesty, Daryl couldn't force away the nervous pricks that were flipping his already curdled stomach at the reminder that he may or may not run into his brother. He was so overwhelmed by the sudden reality that he hardly noticed Rick approaching them, a stern, almost on edge expression adorning his stubbled features. The redneck watched dubiously as Hayley heaved the gate open, directing a nonchalant shrug Rick's direction to signal that they should haul ass out of here.
(and finally done! x we finally have the prison group! *throws confetti and happy dances* I know this isn't the best, probably would have been better in under Hayley's point of view in this chapter but I thought it would be a bit more interesting to see things under Daryl's eyes ya know? now I know some things may be off character but I suck at being or well trying to write under guy's point of view so I do apologize if rick doesn't sound like rick in this or if daryl doesn't sound like daryl, but yeah next chapter is when we get to the woodbury! I am speeding things up very quickly I know but that's because I have some interesting plans coming up for this fanfic and want to write it all out :) now this episode is based off the episode 7 When The Dead Comes Knocking -think I spelled it right, might have to double check- but yeah, hope you guys enjoy this chapter! oh and want to clear things up, i know this is skipped and we don't see merle taking glenn and maggie, i know but it will be shown in a different chapter)