love is hard... [Daryl Dixon]

the buck that started it all {chapter one}

I was peeking out of a large tree with my eyes on a big buck, this was gonna feed me for a while if I can get this shot on its head. I raised my bow and pulled an arrow out of its pack, I then pull the string back far and aim directly at its head. once I had a steady hand and arrow pointed at its head. I released the string, and an arrow whistled throw the woods and directly between the buck's eyes. it fell to the ground with a soft thump, I slowly lowered my bow and started to walk toward the buck. then I heard a click, I knew that sound. that was an arrow being loaded into a crossbow. I stopped dead in my tracks and started to look around, my bow loaded with an arrow between the string. "put it down." a raspy voice said as a tall man stepped out from a tree. I just shook my head with a no and kept my bow up, now pointing to the man. "you best drop it if you don't wanna get no arrow in ya ass." he said sounding pissed off. I kept my bow raised as I took the man in to see my competition.

a tall, harsh-looking redneck. his crossbow amid at me ready to shoot if I made one move. he had four squirrels over his shoulder, each shot perfectly in the eye. it was one thing to get a buck in the head, but squirrels in the eyes. That's one hell of a shot.

all i could do was stare and think abouyt me next move. "ya heard me! ye' deaf or something?" he asked harshly. "that's my deer you best leave, man." I said trying to sound intimidating. he looked at me with his deep blue eyes, and stone cold face. "I've been tracking er for miles, back the fuck up, alright," he said back to me. I needed to get that deer and skin it before a walker eats it. I look at him and sighwasn't wanting to kill anyone today. I pull back the string of my bow rasing it high. then an arrow comes flying at me and stabbed into my shoulder. I winced in pain as I fell back against the tree and dropped my bow. I looked at him walking towards the deer. want an asshole. I thought before passing out from the pain.

Daryl's pov.

I walked over to the buck that lie on the ground and then back to the girl laying on the bottom of a tree. damn, she got a good shot on er. "fuck" I said in a low yell. I couldn't just leave er there for the walkers. I walk over to her passed-out body and looked at my arrow that stuck in her shoulder. poor girl, I knew that hurt. I then went down to my bag on my back and pulled out a bandana. I then bent down to the girl who lie limp in front of me. I pulled my arrow out of her arm and then tightly tied the banana around her shot. I looked back at the buck and threw her arrow into my bag along with the knife I assumed she was gonna use to skin the buck. I scooped her up in my arms and then turned to head back to camp I then stepped on something. her bow. I've never seen someone use a bow before to hunt, it's always crossbows. I picked up her bow and laid it on top of the girl in my arms. "danmnit Dary. what the fuck have you done?!!" I said to myself and ran my way back to camp, not wanting her to lose any more blood.

once the farmhouse come into my sight from the woods I slowed myself down to a fast walk, trying to catch my breath. I looked down at the girl in my arm. 'damn, was she ever pretty.' I quickly snapped out of my trance and began to run again. 'Dixons don't care, not for silly girls in the apocalypse at least.' i run up to the gates of the farm, rick ran up to me and looked a the girl in my arms. "what the hell Daryl??! who is that?" he yelled pointing a gun at her. "I don't know I found er in the bush, she was killing the same buck as me." I said back as I jogged up to the house. "so why is she passed out, and why did you bring her here?" rick said back lowering his gun. I sighed as I opened up the door to the house and walked inside, "because I shot her, I'm not leavin someone to die out there." I shot back as Hershel ran up to us. rick looked at me pissed off at this point. "why the hell did you shoot her then??" he yelled. I sat her on a bed and walked out as Hershel started to clean her wound. "she was aiming a bow at me n' wouldn't put it down." I said coldly setting her bow down on the floor outside. "well if she's staying you're looking after her." rick said before walking off.

I slowly walked back to my tent to skin these squirrels. one I got to my tent I sat outside on the long, pulled my knife out, and carved it into the skin of the squirrels. I stopped abruptly and set down the knife. remembering that buck she had shot, with any luck the walkers wouldn't have found it yet. I picked up my crossbow and slung it over my shoulder as I got up and started walking back to camp. once I got to the fire I turned to the group. they looked like a happy group of friends having a night out, laughing and enjoying this 'happy' world. only if that was the reality. "I ave' a few squirrels back at my tent. could someone skin em' for me? ima' go off n' get that buck." I said walking away to the bush. a few of them nodded. probably none of them will do it. assholes.

I walked through the bush back to the spot I have met this girl. I didn't hear any moans from walkers so far yet so I kept walking closer. but of course, to my luck, there were several walkers malling that thing to its guts. 'damn' i said to myself as I turned and headed back to camp. I felt bad for that girl but I couldn't leave her there.

once I got back to camp I saw they were cooking and eating the squirrels I had killed. I almost smiled to myself, I would never show them it. I started my way back to my tent but stopped once I noticed they were all there. "no one watchin' that girl??" I questioned. rick just shook his head at me. "damnit rick, she could be killin' people, and yall wouldn't even know." I said harshly as I stormed off to the house. I mean come on, we don't even know her, and they're just leaving er' by herself?? I walked into the house and up to the room she was in. I opened the door to see her sitting up hand on her shoulder. i sighed in relief as she was still there. she instantly threw her head to the door frame I stood at. "where the hell is my bow." she screamed at me. "cool it sunshine, I have it, ya can have it back once rick allows it." I said quickly. "rick? whos rick to tell me when I can have MY brother's bow?! huh?" she yelled once again. I paused for a moment before answering her, "Rick is a man who doesn't want his wife, kid, and group to be killed by some girl we just saved." I said back coldly. "ya? well I don't give a damn, I want my bow and arrows back along with my knives and ill be on my way." she said as she stood up to leave. she walked closer to me and I instantly pulled out my crossbow. "hold it, yer' not leavin' till that wound is healed." I said back. "and why the hell would you care?" she said back. I looked at her for a second to think, why did I care? "because I sure as hell didn't leave a buck to the walkers for some girl to just run off and die from blood loss or infection, so sit your ass back on that bed and wait till tomorrow for rick to talk to ya. clear?"

she just looked at me and shrugged, "fine have it your way." all of the sudden she grabbed my arm, disarming my crossbow and throwing me to the floor. as soon as I hit the floor I knew she wasn't going to corporate. I quickly tripped her making her fall on the floor beside me. I jumped up on top of her pinning her down and grabbing her arms, crossing them in an X before sitting her on my lap. Hershel and Rick came running up the stairs and seeing her there he knew that she had tried something. "you didn't think it was going to be that easy did ya?'" I whispered in her ear. she squirmed in my arms and rick quickly pulled his handgun out loading it with a click. that made her stop fighting instantly and look up at the gun pointed directly at her face. "you best stop fighting him and stay put till morning." he said harshly. she just nodded her head as I stood up pulling her with me. "I can walk myself, asshole," she said ripping her wrist from my grip. she walked back to the bedroom and sat down on the floor in the corner of the room. "ya know there is a bed for a reason." I said to her before shutting the door and locking it behind me.

I walked back to my tent and instantly passed.