I'll Always Find You (A Daryl Dixon X Reader)

CHAPTER 38: Truth's Come To Light

"Dale could... Could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare. And brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us... The truth. Who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives. Our safety. Our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale."

Rick spoke at Dad's funeral. I held Charlotte close and leaned into Daryl. When it was over a few of our group, including Daryl, went scouting the farm's property for imperfections in the fences as well as taking out any wandering walkers. Dad's death had really effected everybody. Especially me and Charlotte. Hershel had made the decision that what happened was too close of a call. That we were all going to be moving into the house. Charlotte and I were carrying boxes of our things into the house when the others arrived back.

    "It's gonna be a tight fit with 16 people in one house." Rick mentioned to Hershel as Charlotte and I came walking over.

    "Don't worry about that." Hershel assured him. "With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up..."

    "With 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing the damn dinner bell." Maggie pointed out.

    "She's right. We should've moved you in a while ago." Hershel stated.

    "All right, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out toward the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sight lines. Both sides of the property. T-Dog you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going." Rick instructed everyone.

    "What about standing guard?" T-dog asked.

    "I need you and Daryl on double duty." Rick explained.

    "Gotcha."

    "Y/n." Hershel said as he handed me a box to move inside. "I'd like to speak with you for a second."

    "Okay, sure." I nodded as I held the box.

    "I want you and Charlotte to take the extra bedroom upstairs."

    "Hershel, no. We couldn't do that. Charlotte and I will be fine taking a corner in the living room." I told him immediately, shaking my head.

    "Listen to me." Hershel said softly pulling me aside. We together watched Charlotte struggle with a lighter bag to bring inside the house. "I'm not comfortable letting you both sleep in there... Last night, Charlotte came to me asking for pain pills. When I asked her why she showed me some marks on her back and they looked like they went down to her legs. She told me she was playing in the woods when she wasn't supposed to and she fell. Got hurt. Didn't want me to mention it to you."

    "Why wouldn't she want to tell me she's hurt?" I questioned concerned. "Or even tellin' Daryl?"

    "Because, if I've ever seen a mark like that, it's only come from one thing. A belt." Hershel said lowly, anger in his eyes.

    "What?!" I gasped.

    "Shh. Now, if either of us had any fingers point we'd know where they were pointing." Hershel pointed out. Both of our eyes traveling over to Shane as he was talking to Rick. "I don't have any proof..."