Stars and Scars [D.Dixon fic] TWD

29

The next day the group stood yet again at the make shift grave yard where Dales body had been freshly buried. Cassie stood with her family however Daryl had opted to yet again stand at the very edge of the groups small semi circle. Cassie and Rick had dug Dales grave early that morning while the rest of the group were sleeping and Shane,Andrea,T-dog and Daryl had been out on a perimeter check.

"Dale could get under your skin" Rick began as he was going to speak for Dales funeral. "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's be looking back at me with that look he had" Cassie felt a few tears begin to fall down her face as she remembered her time with Dale. At the same time she could feel Daryl's eyes on her from where he stood a few feet away.

"We've all seen it one way 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 groups broken. The best way to honour him is to in break it, set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves, take control of our lives, our safety, our future." Cassie wasn't sure how clear it was to the others but to her it was quite clear the last part of what Rick was saying was directed at Shane and the beef they had between them.

"We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honour Dale." After Rick had spoken the group slowly started to leave the Greene family leaving first followed by Shane, Andrea, T-Dog,Carol, Lori and Carl then Glenn. Soon enough only Rick, Cassie and Daryl were left standing.

As Cassie looked up from the ground she had been looking at she was met with Daryl's blue eyes staring into hers. He nodded his head to the side signalling her away to walk with him to the farmhouse. They walked together in a comfortable silence hands brushing together as they did.

——————————————————————————-

Hershel and his family had decided to let the group come stay in the farmhouse with them as as the days went on it got colder and sleeping in tents would be no good for them."It'll be tight 15 people in one house"

"Don't worry about that. 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 continued on from her father.

"She's right. We should have moved you in a while ago" Hershel agreed.

"Thank you It's very generous of you" Cassie thanked the pair.

"It's no problem dear" Hershel replied.

"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" Rick told the group before pulling T-dog over to give him a task as Cassie stood besides Shane leaning against the truck waiting for Rick to come back over.

As Daryl walked past her he gave a small crooked smile that made her blush slightly. God she felt so stupid for getting so flushed around him. When Lori walked past she saw a glimpse of Daryl's smile and then Cassie's reaction to it. After Daryl walked away to continue his job Cassie met Loris eyes and when Lori gave her a knowing smile Cassie's eyes widened before she turned away trying to distract herself.