Daryl's Precious Gem (Daryl Dixon FanFiction)

45: Preparing

"That good, huh?" Tara frowned as I met her in inventory.

"Yup." I popped the 'p'.

"Waste of time and gas." Tara shook her head.

"Not completely. King Ezekiel did offer Daryl and I asylum since he knows that Negan has a bounty out for me."

"But he works for the Saviors! Won't they see you when they go inside the walls?"

"Apparently they don't enter the community." I shrugged.

"That would be correct. Their deal specified that they meet outside the walls so that no one inside the community would worry." Jack leaned against the doorway.

"What else do you know about their deal?" I crossed my arms across my chest.

He smiled sadly, "I'm afraid that's all I know."

My head lowered in frustration as I rubbed the back of my neck, "Worth a shot."

"Need a hand with anything else, Tara?" Jack wiped his hands off on his pants.

"No, that's all. Thank you!" Tara smiled.

"Of course." Jack glanced over to me, "I'll be outside."

I nodded my head at him before he turned and strolled out the door before turning to Tara. "Thank you for making him feel welcome and allowing him to work in here."

"Of course! It was a pleasure to work with him." Tara patted my shoulder. "He kept talking about you and your mother."

"My mother?" I became confused.

"Yeah, he would talk about all the times you two would sing at the local bar and how he would sometimes take you, your brother and your mother out fishing while your dad was working."

I smiled at the memories of Jack taking me down the river in his boat and teaching me how to cast and fly fish. "Good ol' days."

"Go on and visit with him. I'll catch up with you later." Tara bumped me with her hip. I rolled my eyes at her as I made my way outside and looked for Jack.

"Not all is fair in the kingdom I hear." Jack smiled before hugging me.

"Sadly not." I frowned.

"Come on." Jack wrapped an arm over my shoulder as we walked back to Daryl's and my place. We sat on the porch bench and watched the sunset.

"This is a nice place. I'm glad you found these people." Jack patted my shoulder.

"I agree. We've all saved each other multiple times." I grinned.

"Tara told me what happened with the Wolves."

My smile dissipated as I eyed my lap, "Did she tell you everything?"

"Right down to the part that you died but miraculously came back." Jack sighed. "It sounds like you've been through quite an ordeal!"

"I have."

"How did you push through it?" Jack eyed me curiously.

I slid off my jacket leaving me in my tank top. Jacks eyes widened as he saw my scars. I frowned, "As much as I don't like them, these scars remind me that I am a fighter and a survivor. The amount of suffering and pain I've endured in my lifetime used to be unimaginable. But now, in this reality, this is normal! There's no time for dwelling in the past. When Paula told me that my father was dead I felt a bit of my humanity being chiseled away. There are days where I want to give up but when I see these people I'm given hope!"