What Lies Ahead • the walking dead ¹

40 • Alone

»Play: Where's My Love by SYML«

Daryl and Rick stood on the front porch discussing arrangements for disposing of Randall. They had planned to take the kid out to Senoia, which was an hour away, and leave him with some provisions that would last a few days. That way he would have a fighting chance to survive. The pair's conversation was only ended by the arrival of Shane's car, leaving Daryl to come up with an excuse as to why he needed to leave.

Rick nodded, giving the man a stamp of approval to leave. Which he did, and without another word. Walking in the direction of his campsite, where he hoped to find Alexa. What Chase had said to him earlier stung the back of his brain the whole time he was with Rick. And it was starting to bug him. He wasn't supposed to grow feelings for these people. Especially not Alexa. But Daryl guessed he did this to himself by asking if the girl needed a place to stay.

Daryl sighed as he approached the campsite. It was quiet. And there was no sign of the girl anywhere outside. So he moved toward his tent only to hear a sneeze followed by a sniffle. Walking inside he almost wished he hadn't as he was met with the sight of the girl's bare back. The man couldn't pull his eyes away from the sight.

The last time he had seen Alexa's scars it was only for a moment before she covered them up. But now she was taking her time and Daryl could count every white outlined scar on her back. All in clusters of five tally marks spread across her back at random. Upper, lower, and mid, some covered by her sports bra, some covered by her down hair, and others completely visible. Only a few were still freshly red, but most of them were healed completely.

It was a dreadful sight that made Daryl think about his own scars...

"Holy fuck!" Alexa shouted, a small scream escaping her lips, as she became aware of Daryl's presence. "Don't you know how to knock?" She quizzed angrily as she snatched her now clean black shirt off the camping table in the corner of the tent. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." She grumbled, pulling her t-shirt over her head and adjusting it around her waist before tucking it into her jeans.

"Damn pervert." The girl added, pulling her dark hair out of her shirt.
"Sorry. Sorry, I- uh... I-"
Daryl stumbled over his words, trying to find the right words to apologize. At least ones that weren't embarrassing. "Umm... I... you-" The man cleared his throat uncomfortably, trying not to look into the angered eyes of Alexandra Mason.

"I... Sorry. I'm gonna go... now." Daryl concluded.
"Ditto," Alexa confirmed, grabbing her pack and throwing it over her shoulder. Before irritatedly trying to get her hair unstuck from under the straps. "Ya gonna move or-"
Alexa's sentence was cut off as Daryl suddenly threw his arms around the girl. Embracing her in a tight hug.

Alexa's body tensed under Daryl. her arms flattened at her sides as she awkwardly stood in the man's embrace. Daryl could feel her heart pounding against her chest. It was like the world stopped around the pair. Everything seemingly moved in slow motion as Alexa raised her arms and returned Daryl's hug. Both their bodies melting together.

The two pulled away at the same time. At least for a second as Daryl cupped Alexa's face in his hands. His fingertips brushed the girl's bangs behind her ear, his face inching closer to hers.
"I need someone to live for," Daryl whispered. His surprisingly soft lips brushed against Alexa's before pulling her in for a kiss.

Alexa didn't pull away. Her heart beating faster than ever as she let the man attack her lips. The moment seemed to last forever even though it was only a few seconds, Daryl's lips only being placed on the girl's before he pulled away. His face flushed in rosy red hues as well as Alexa's. The girl looked flustered, her bangs falling over her emerald irises as the rest of her hair draped over her broad shoulders.

Daryl expected her to say something. Maybe something sarcastic or angry. But he didn't expect what she said next.
"I... I uh, I have to go." She breathed.
Her tone was neither sarcastic nor angry. If anything she sounded sad and worried. Maybe even scared...

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Alexa retreated to the barn, quickly climbing up the ladder and releasing Carl from lookout duty. The little boy waved goodbye before climbing down the ladder and leaving. Alexa sighed in relief once the boy was gone.

She sat on the floor of the loft, her back pressed against the hay bail Carl was just sitting on. She let her legs hang out the window as she stared off into Hershel's fields. She tried to concentrate on keeping a lookout but her thoughts just kept getting dragged back to Daryl.

He had actually kissed her, and with little to no hesitation. The girl had been kissed before but with Daryl, it was just different...
But Alexa couldn't let herself like the man. She just couldn't bare the thought of Daryl dying and breaking her heart.

That's why she was afraid to grow close to people. She was afraid to lose the people she cared for. Afraid To watch them die. Afraid to let them get washed away and turned into a walking soulless corpses.

Of course, she wasn't always afraid of death. But after the world went to shit, death became her greatest fear. Alexa feared losing the people she loved. She had already lost her mom. And then she lost her father, who was already long gone. And then she lost Martha. Then Tristan. And she'd be damned if she lost Chase.

Or even Daryl if she started to care for him too much.

But Alexa wouldn't let herself love Daryl. She wouldn't let herself love Maggie, or T-dog, or Glenn. She would only let herself love Chase because he was the only person she could protect. The only person she would protect. Not Maggie, or T-dog, or Glenn, or Daryl...

It had always been Alexa and Chase. It always would be, right up until the very end. And until then she would be alone. Because when the dead started walking she was alone. Alone with her baby brother. Alone with her thoughts. Alone with the dead...

Alone.

A word Alexa grew quite acquainted with... Until she wasn't alone.

She wasn't Alone. Not anymore. Alexa had Maggie, and T-dog, and Glenn. She had Daryl. Alexa wasn't alone. Not anymore.