Here is chapter 16! A little bonding time between OC and Daryl! Enjoy and review! I do not own any of the walking dead.
CHAPTER 16
Blake sprinted past Rick and Tanyon to find out what the fuck was going on. Her heart beat rapidly as she yanked open the back door of the white van. Her eyes immediately went to Daryl's hunched over form.
"Holy shit, Daryl. Are you ok?" she asked as she climbed into the back of the van.
"I'm fine, girl. Damn thing just fuckin' jumped me," he said as he kicked out at the male walker now still on the bloodied van floor. Blake followed the blood spatter from the victim but felt a sense of unease in her gut when she saw the dried blood that coated the floor of the van. Medical supplies were scattered along the rusty floor of the van with tape and gauze dried into the mess of blood. There was so much of it. Rick and Tanyon stood out side of the van, the two doors now propped all the way open.
"Was it him?" Rick asked as he eyed the large rotting man on the floor of the van.
"Nah….looks like he bandaged himself up and got the fuck outta here," Daryl said as he searched in the driver and passenger seat. "That sum'bitch drove out here with his hand cut off. Told ya, eat a hammer he'll shit out nails," Daryl said, not looking back at them.
"I'm gonna track for him a bit, see where he was headed. Bloods a few days old, don't know where he could be. He's alive tho," he said.
This was the most Blake has ever heard him talk the whole time they've been traveling. He was always so quiet and kept to himself.
"I'll come with," Blake said as she looked over the two seats to see what he was checking out. She caught him pocketing a pack of Parliaments before he caught her peeking, sending her a glare.
"You ain't comin' with me. Dangerous," he voiced as he opened the drivers side door and stepped out. Blake rolled her eyes and turned to exit the back of the van.
"Why the hell not? No one should be going out alone," Blake said, giving Rick a pleading look to help her in her case.
"She's right, Daryl. I think we'd all feel more comfortable if you guys went as a team. Me and Tanyon can go back and scavenge some of the cars with the group, give them somethin' to do," Rick said as he put his hands on his hips as he looked over the army of cars between him and his family.
"Fine. Les go. We wastin' time," he said, not looking at Blake as he made his way into the brush of the woods, already set on a trail. Blake looked back at her brother and shrugged at him before setting off behind the impatient hunter.
"Be careful out there, Bea. Watch each other," Tanyon said loudly, catching Blake's ears before the woods engulfed her body into its brush and foliage.
They had been traveling for about an hour before Blake couldn't handle the silence.
"I'm sure he's around here somewhere," Blake said, hoping to maybe release the tension noticeable in Daryl's broad shoulders. He just grunted.
"Did you guys have any plan? Were you guys heading anywhere before you ran into the group?," she voiced as she watched him step over previously executed walkers.
"He's been this way," was all he said.
"Yeah, I know. I can tell by the tracks," Blake said as she kept her eyes glued to the ground, with the occasional glance at the hunters back side. What is wrong with you, girl? You ain't got time for this, shit. Blake shook her head as if it would actually rid of the thought's that were creeping into her brain. He's such a jerk sometimes. Why aren't you just letting him be? Probably because I'm a pain in the ass. Blake snorted to herself and smirked.
"Wus' so funny?' Daryl asked, still not talking to look at her. She could tell without seeing his face he was annoyed with her.
"Just thinkin' about stuff. Sorry if I bothered you," Blake said calmly, finally reaching her peak with this redneck.
"Jus' shut up. Ain't got time for your bafoonery," Daryl said seriously.
Blake couldn't help but laugh at his choice of words. She covered her hand over her mouth and giggled, knowing full well letting out a hearty laugh would attract unwanted friends or piss off a certain hunter. Daryl turned to look at her, startled by her red face, her plump lips covered with the palm of her hand. Tears were building up in her emerald orbs from the laughter she was trying to contain. Daryl couldn't help but smirk at the scene.
Blake laughed a little bit harder when she saw the small smile grace Daryl's usually tight face. "Oh my god, Dixon. That was funny. Now tell me, was that a smile I just saw, because that made my day." Daryl let out a huff of hair from his mouth and shook his head, turning away from the caramel skinned girl.
"I ain't dead," he said as he continued examining the broken branches and footprints along the forest floor. Blake wiped a few stray tears from her face and followed Daryl further along the trail.
"So you can track?" he asked. Blake was stunned by the fact that he initiated conversation that her tongue almost got in a twist.
"Uh, yeah? Used to hunt with my brothers and cousins sometimes when we came down south to visit family. Didn't do much of it back at home," she said.
"You ain't from Georgia?" Daryl asked.
"No, from New York City," she said.
"So you're a Yankee," Daryl said.
"I mean, if that's how Northeners are still treated down here then I guess. But I can say I'm a Yankee's fan," she said.
"Mm," he said as they finally approached a dirt road.
"We gonna have to turn back soon, we've been gone awhile," Daryl said as he turned to face the direction they walked from.
Blake continued to the scan the forest floor when she caught tire tracks.
"Daryl check this out," she said as she made her way into the road. She pointed along the tire tracks and followed them to a pair of what must've been Merle's prints. Droplets of blood were noticeable in the dusty dirt of the unpaved road. "Doesn't look like there was much of a scuffle. Somone picked him up," she said as she observed the scene.
"He went willingly," Daryl said as he approached Blake from behind. "Good eyes, hoodrat," he said.
"Thanks…bafoon," Blake choked out, already giggling at the word she previously cried over.
Daryl grunted and turned away from her, not wanting to show her the smirk that was on his face. He realized he couldn't help but smile around this girl, no matter how much he tried to push her away. He was about to head back into the woods when he turned around; seeing Blake still bent on eyeing the track.
"Les go, girl. He made his choice, he's out there somewhere. Gotta get back," he yelled over to her.
"Alright," she said as she got to her feet and wiped the dust on her hands onto her olive denim. Together they walked back to the highway. Blake noticed as she trailed Daryl his shoulders seemed more relax and his head was held a little higher. She smiled and continued to follow the hunter back to her new friends.