Detached [TWD Fanfiction]

Chapter 4

He was there, like he'd said he'd be. The sun was peeking over the horizon casting rainbows through the stained glass windows. She'd been awake for a while now, and she'd already gutted and eaten one of her squirrels. Truth be told she'd almost forgotten about his offer and had been ready head into the woods alone when he'd emerged into the clearing. He didn't see her at first, and she could have easily slipped into the trees, but instead she walked to him. As she did, he looked her up and down, realising just how filthy she was. Her trousers could have been any colour under all the grime and dirt, but now they were a brownish grey colour, with several pieces of duct tape over what must have been holes. Her boots were tattered and the same colour as her trousers. Her shirt wasn't quite so filthy, but streaks and splashes of red showed that she hadn't spent the whole apocalypse sat in a church. She didn't wear a jacket, which was probably for the best in the days heat, but Daryl did wonder how she hadn't frozen overnight with winter closing in.

'Ready?' He asked, knowing the answer. She nodded, and they began walking into the woods. They walked in silence for a long time, listening to every rustle and crack that echoed through the trees. There were plenty of birds, but none that stayed still long enough to take an arrow or bolt. Daryl eventually spotted tracks through the leaves on the ground. They were thin but deep, possibly a rabbit she had suggested. Together they stalked the animal, managing to nail a couple squirrels and a blackbird on the way. When they found the rabbit it was nibbling on a patch of dandelion leaves, seemingly very peaceful. Both hunters crouched down quietly, Daryl raising his crossbow. He looked at her as if he was asking permission to take the shot, and she nodded slightly. With a soft thunk the rabbit was dead.

'How should we split it?' She put forward, knowing she wouldn't leave without some of that rabbit. Daryl thought for a moment.

'Come back to camp with me, I'll skin it and cook it. We can share it,' he suggested. She looked at him quizzically. Why would he want her to go back with him? Hadn't she caused them enough issues already?

'Why?' She stared at him. 'Why do you want me to go back?'

'Don't wanna make a mess of this, it's a nice piece of meat,' he replied. She wasn't buying it. She kept staring at him, demanding answers with her eyes. He sighed. 'You're the only damn person I've seen who don't need babysitting. And you don't run your mouth non stop like the others. Good company's hard to find these days.' She nodded in agreement. She wasn't completely against having company, sometimes it was nice, but she hated having conversations and letting people get to know her, just like last night. She understood where Daryl was coming from, but that didn't necessarily mean she was going to accept his offer.

'We'll walk back to the church. I'll decide on the way.' And so they began to trek back, Daryl clutching the rabbit by the ears. Despite the fact that they seemed to have mutually agreed on silence, he couldn't help but want to question her. She was intriguing, and different. He wanted to know why, but he didn't know where to start. He regretted asking what he did.

'So is your family really dead?' He began. The words seemed to tumble out of his mouth in a mess, yet as much as he wished he had started somewhere else, she answered.

'I don't know. I left them.'

'When all this started?'

'Before.' In a way he wasn't shocked by her answer. At this point he had begun to expect she would have a twisted past.

'How come?' He paused. 'Why lie yesterday?' She was silent for a moment and he thought she wouldn't answer. He felt bad for prying, but also didn't. Why shouldn't he know? He had a dark past too.

'I lied because no one would have really cared. You'll all forget me soon enough,' she said softly.

'Yeah? Somehow I doubt that. And you didn't answer my first question.' The atmosphere between them seemed to have lightened up a bit.

'I'll answer if I can ask you something,' she stated. 'A question for a question.' He nodded and held his hand out almost jokingly. She shook it, and Daryl could have sworn she smirked. Facing forwards again, she began to answer.

'Mom died when I was born, never knew her or anything about her. Dad was a piece of shit in all aspects of the word.' At this Daryl chuckled. He knew how that felt all too well. 'I had a sister, older than me. She hated me 'cause she blamed me for mom. I left them because there was no reason to stay.' She let the information sink in before asking her question. 'Who did you lose?' Daryl was slightly taken back by her question. He was certain he had never mentioned anything about himself. Perhaps it was because she had practically lost her family, and they were so similar in every other way.

'My brother. He was an asshole, but he was my brother. He got left behind, back in Atlanta.' He decided not to go into details. If he wanted her to come back he though it would be best not to explain how, between them, Rick and T-Dog had left Merle for dead. 'My turn. You really never gonna tell anyone your name?' He looked at her, hoping this wasn't where he crossed a line.

'Maybe someone some day. No point yet though. No need for attachments,' she answered.

'Not got a nickname I can call you?' Daryl suggested. She shot him a glare as if to tell him to stop bothering, but then her eyes drifted elsewhere and she stopped walking. She raised a finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. Slowly, he turned to see what she was watching. At least a couple dozen walkers were passing them, far away enough that they couldn't hear them, but close enough to put them in danger. The pair froze, watching, until Daryl dared to speak.

'They're heading towards the farm. We can't get past without drawing attention,' he pointed out. The walkers weren't particularly close to the farm, but they'd still get there eventually. A small herd could be dangerous if the group wasn't warned, and as Daryl had said, they couldn't get around without drawing attention to themselves. They stood, watching, for a while. It seemed like hours, and the herd still hadn't passed. They were both beginning to get restless, until she began walking in the direction they had come from.

'What the hell are you doing?' Daryl half shouted, trying to keep his voice down.

'Wait here. If they don't turn around I'm probably dead. If they do, well, same goes,' she said, and began jogging away before Daryl could say anything. He was left with no choice but to stay and watch the mass of walkers for however long it would take. He hadn't known the strange girl long, but when she had said she'd probably be dead he felt like he should have grabbed her, told her he'd do whatever it was that needed doing. He decided it was probably because of what she'd said about her family, and that he felt protective of her in a weird way.

Several more minutes passed, and the herd was almost out of sight. Daryl wondered if he should move closer to them to keep watching, or if she really was dead and it didn't matter. There was no way of telling. He was about to move up closer to them when he saw one walking his way. He'd have taken it down easily, it was just one, but he noticed it wasn't looking at him. Instead it looked up at the sky, watching billows of white smoke pouring upwards. The fire had to be out since the smoke was white, he thought. Gradually, the rest of the herd began to turn towards it, moving faster now that they knew where they were going. If they do, well, same goes. How could she risk so much for a group she didn't even know? She'd met them twice, the first time particularly briefly, and she was going to give in to a herd of walkers for them. At that point it certainly seemed like she wasn't coming back. He felt bad - they'd never eaten the rabbit. If it wasn't the apocalypse he might have considered not eating it out of respect.

Preparing to head back alone, he scanned the ground for the rabbit. It was gone. He had put it down when they spotted the herd and now it was gone. Animals didn't turn, he knew that, and it sure as hell hadn't run away. He knew he'd carried it this far and not dropped it, which only left one other option - the girl had it. Had she really been prepared to die, or did she say that to stop him waiting for her and to make him move on? She'd only made a fire and put it out, to make enough smoke without causing a forest fire, so she really hadn't been in too much danger. He mentally called himself an idiot for believing she was and headed towards the fire. It was one hell of a scam just for a rabbit. Maybe she did care about the group.