"Eva we ain't even talking about this" Daryl said as he started packing up some bolts.
"Yes we are." I said stepping in front of him.
"I'm a good shot my ankle is better. I want to go!" I said
"No!" He yelled back.
"Hey what's going on?" Rick asked coming up to our cell.
"I'm going with you guys to Woodbury" I said.
"No she ain't" Daryl said.
"It isn't your call Daryl" I said
"Like hell I don't get a say!" He said back.
"I want to go!" I yelled.
"Ok ok calm down both of you" Rick said stepping between us.
"What if one of you gets hurt out there?" I said. "I could help. I'm not weak I can shoot I'm fast. I won't slow you guys down."
Rick looked at Daryl then at me.
"She's got a good point." Rick said.
"Rick!" Daryl said
"Look she's right. Now we don't know what shape were going to find Glenn and Maggie and having her there to take care of them will be good." He said
"You can come" Rick said before he walked away.
Daryl started to throw things into a bag. I could feel the tension and anger rolling off him.
I wanted to talk to him but I knew it would only agitate him more. So I started to pack as well.
I grabbed my gun and knife before I reached for my worn boots. I pulled them on over a pair of holely jeans. I strapped my knife and gun to my belt before reaching for some more magazines.
The young black women who we found out her name is Michonne had told us about Glenn and Maggie being taken. After that Rick organized a group to go to the town called Woodbury. The people who were going so far was me, Daryl, Rick, Oscar and Michonne.
Daryl finished packing and walked out stomping his feet.
What a child I thought as I finished.
. . .
"Be careful" Beth told me.
"I will" I said and gave her a hug.
"Please bring them back" she whispered.
"I'll try my hardest" I said before letting her go and going to the car.
Daryl had brought my crossbow with him when he had left the cell. He silently handed it to me.
"Thanks" I said.
"Mhm" was all he said
I sighed and got in the car.
I ended up between Michonne and Oscar.
. . .
"They have patrols were better off on foot." Michonne said as we all got out of the car after driving for sometime.
"How far? Nights coming" rick asked as we started to get ready.
"A mile maybe two." Michonne answered.
Michonne and Rick led us into the woods. I ended up next to Oscar who I hadn't met yet.
"Hi I'm Eva" I said as I put my hand out.
"Oscar" he said with a smile.
"Nice to meet you" I said as we continued walking.
"You look pretty deadly with that crossbow" Oscar said.
"Haha thanks. " I said
Before he could answer though Daryl pushed himself between us stopping our conversation.
I looked at him but he just looked away.
We walked for a little more till Daryl alerted us to walkers and Rick ordered us to get down.
"Get in formation no gun fire" Rick said
I pulled my knife out and go into a stance behind Daryl and next to Rick. It was a stance the three of us were familiar with. Rick had created it when we were on the road.
I had taken down a walker when we saw how many walkers were actually here.
"There to many of them." Daryl said as he pushed me further back behind him.
"This way." Rick said and we all went off at a jog.
We jogged till we found a small cabin which Rick promptly kicked the door open.
"Eva get the door." He said in a hushed whisper.
I shut the door. When I turned around I instantly started to gag. Daryl handed me a rag from him back pocket. It helped to drown out the smell but not much. It smelt like rotting meat worse the the walkers.
"Man that smell. Its loud." Daryl said as he put his hand over this nose.
We started walking through the small cabin that had flies buzzing all around.
"What is that?" Oscar asked staring at what looked like a dead animal.
"Gotta be a fox. Or what's left of one." Daryl said.
Moving closer though it was clear it was a dog. I felt my heart hurt at how hard its death must have been.
"Guess lassi went home" Daryl said.
The door started banging as the walkers caught up and started to try and get in.
Rick started walking toward the bed his hand stretched out reaching for the covers. When he pulled them back a old man with a beard jumped up raising a shot gun and aiming at us yelling.
"Ahh who the hell are you?!" He yelled at Rick pointing his gun at him.
" We don't mean any harm" Rick said lifting his arms trying to plead with the man.
"Get outta my house!" He yelled again.
"Ok ok we will. But we can't right now" Rick said
"Now!" The man yelled again
"Shut him up." Daryl said looking around and stepping closer to me.
"There are walkers outside" Rick told the man.
"I'll call the cop!" The man threatened.
What the? Didn't he know there were no more cops?
"I am a cop. Now I need you to lower the gun. Don't do anything rash. Everything's fine. Let's just- let's just take this nice and slow, okay? Look at me. Hey, hey." Rick said as the man started to become unhinged.
"Show me your badge!" The man said.
"Alright. Its in my pocket. I'm just gonna reach down and-" and Rick jumped at the man.
"Let me go!" He yelled as he started to fight Rick.
A gunshot rang out and suddenly I was on the floor Daryl having pushed me out of the way.
The man freaked out and started running toward the door.
"Don't open the door!" Rick yelled.
The man who wasn't listening tried to open the door so Michonne stabbed him.
I felt my gag reflex kick in at seeing it. I turned my head as Daryl and Rick made the plan to push the mans body to the walkers.
"Three!" Daryl yelled and we all ran through the back door.
. . .
Few hours later and we were in sight of Woodbury.
Daryl , Rick and I were still in our natural stance as we crouched/ran up to the gates following Michonne.
"Hey" Rick whispered/yelled at Michonne as she walked off. I got up getting ready to follow her but Daryl's hand on my arm stopped me.
"Alright we need to downsize" Rick said making all of us take off our packs.
I opened my bag as Rick and Daryl started discussing what to do. In my pack i took out a small black pouch. It was a tiny first aid kit that I had put together. It didn't hold much just enough in case someone got hurt.
"Eva" Rick said causing me to look up.
"Yeah?" I said crouch walking up to him.
"You're going to stay here." He said
"What!?" I whispered angrily at him.
"The whole point of me coming here was to help Rick" I said
"Yeah and if you get hurt? How are you going to help then?" He said just as angrily.
"Your staying." He said in a voice that left no room for negotiating.
I walked back to my bag beyond pissed at his decision. A part of me suspected Daryl had a big part in this.
We all raised our guns as we heard twigs snap but it only turned out to be Michonne.
"This way." She whispered.
"Hey be careful" Daryl said grabbing my arm.
Despite my anger I still nodded and told him to stay safe as well.
The group ran off and I went to a bushy area to wait out the rescue mission.
. . .
It was about 30 mins later when a commotion came from the left of me.
I lifted my gun getting ready to defend myself.
I blew a sigh of relief as I saw that it was Rick, Maggie, and Glenn.
I jumped out of the bushes causing Rick to raise his gun at me which he instantly dropped.
"Oh god Glenn." I said as I ran forward.
I looked around and noticed we had some people missing.
"Wheres Daryl?" I said panic beginning to flow through my veins.
We all jumped and raised our guns as a noise came from behind us. It turned out to be Michonne. She was bleeding from a head wound. Out of habit I moved forward to inspect her wound but was yanked back by Rick who raised his gun at her.
"Turn around." Rick said.
He took Michonne's sword.
"Where the hell were you?" He asked
"Where are your people?" She asked looking around.
"They got Oscar" Glenn said as he limply held a gun in his hand.
"And Daryls missing. Did you see him?" Maggie said
Michonne shook her head no.
Missing? How could he be missing. I felt my heart start to hurt as my mind went to the thought that he was dead. I ended up drowning out the rest of the conversation because my head was swimming. I could feel a panic attack beginning but I started to breath through it. A trick Daryl had helped me come up with when we were living on the road.
"Eva." Rick said causing me to snap out of my head.
"Were going back for him" he said
"You in?" He asked holding out one of our automatics.
"I'm in." I said grabbing the gun.
. . .
Smoke was everywhere and gun shots was the only noise I could hear.
We had found Daryl and surprisingly Merle in some sort of fight ring.
We got there in time to save them.
As we ran out of Woodbury Daryl grabbed my hand it was only for a moment but it was there that we both got our reassurance.
. . .
"Look get your gun ready. Its not gonna be a pretty sight when we get back to Glenn and Michonne." Rick whispered in my ear as we started walking back to the car.
I nodded and pulled my gun out of its holster.
"Good to see you little doc." Merle said using my old nickname.
"Nice to see you too Merle." I said
"Its good to see you too." I whispered to Daryl.
It took all night for us to get back to the car.
Rick looked over at me and nodded.
"Glenn." Rick yelled.
"Rick!" Glenn yelled running up along with Michonne.
But at the sight of Merle he pulled his gun and Michonne pulled her sword.
"What the hell is he doing here!?" Glenn yelled.
I quickly raised my gun at him stepping in front of Merle.
"Put it down Glenn!" I yelled confused as to why he was mad.
"Why are you defending him!?" He yelled.
"Why are you trying to kill him!?" I yelled back.
"He kidnapped us! And nearly killed me!" He yelled back.
That stopped me short. I looked back at Merle and he just squared his jaw.
"That true?" I asked.
His silence was all the answer I needed.
I dropped my gun but still stood where I was.
Merle decided that was the time to start taunting everyone.
"Damn little doc you grew a pair since I last saw you!." He said
"Shut up Merle!" I yelled. But it only egged him on.
He kept taunting everyone even exposing the news that Michonne knew Andrea. He kept going till Rick knocked him out.
I walked back to the car with Daryl noticing for the first time that he didn't have his crossbow.
"Where's your crossbow?" I asked.
"Ended up breaking it back at Woodbury." He said.
"Here" I said as I handed him mine.
"You need it more." I said when he hesitated to take it.
He took it with a nod.
"Eva, Daryl" Rick said calling us over.
"He's not coming back." Rick said.
We went around in circles about what to do with Merle. I stood out of it till Daryl said something that shocked me.
"Fine. We'll fend for ourselves." He said
"What?" I said
"Its either both of us or none." He said looking at me.
"And me Daryl? Are you just gonna leave me?" I asked.
"Come with us." Daryl said.
I stopped short. Leave the group? How could he even think about leaving let alone ask me to as well.
"You can't ask me that." I said.
He nodded at squared his jaw.
"If your first answer ain't yes then there's not point to us continuing this." He said as he turned to walk away.
I reached out and grabbed his arm.
"How can you say that after all we've been through?" I almost shouted.
"What if it was David you found!?" He shouted back.
I stepped back at the mention of my little brother.
"That's different he's dead!" I shouted.
"Well mines alive!" He shouted back.
"So that's it you're just going to leave?" I asked as my throat started to become tight.
"Was always me and Merle before this." He said. He looked once more at me before walking away. I felt tears fill my eyes but blinked them back. He didn't deserve to see them. Rick tried to convince him to stay but he wouldn't budge. And in the end he left.
On the drive back I looked out the window and a memory flashed through my mind.
We had been on a hunting trip and it started to pour so we ran into a cave of sorts.
"No but seriously. What if you get bored of me and leave?" I asked grabbing his hand something I could only do in private.
"I ain't ever gonna leave you" he said
I looked up at him seeing the promise in his eyes.
"Promise?" I whispered
"Promise" he said back before he leaned in to kiss me.
The tears finally spilled over as I realized Daryl had just broken one of the biggest promises he had ever told me.
. . .
AN: well that was long haha hope you enjoyed review? Thanks :)