Our Extinction Event {Daryl Dixon}

Hunting

Daryl and Merle decided to join their camp, and after that, everything worked out pretty well. Of course, there was no denying that Merle Dixon was an idiot, but Daryl was nothing like his brother. They both hunted in the forest and brought back enough to feed everyone, and combined with Glenn and Parker's supplies, they had a very stable food income. 

The Dixon brothers kept their distance, pitching their tents a little away from where everyone else was. They rarely joined them at the campfire at night, choosing to remain isolated. Carl often asked Parker why the brothers didn't want to interact with their group, and Parker always told him that maybe they were just getting used to the idea of being with so many people.

Regardless, after a few months, everything seemed to be going well. It had been a little over four months since the outbreak, and Parker felt as safe as she could be in this camp. 

One morning, Parker was looking for berries when a voice behind her startled her. "Do you know those are poisonous?" Parker dropped the berries she was holding and turned to find Daryl standing behind her.

"Well, I'm not an expert, so I pick them and pray they don't kill me."

"I can show you the good ones," Daryl offered. She wanted to jump at the offer but at the same time, she knew he was not a fan of other people's company that wasn't his brother. Parker hesitated. Daryl rarely interacted with the group, so why was he acting so friendly now? Finally, she nodded, because she didn't feel like dying from eating bad berries.

"Okay." Parker agreed, following after him. She expected the walk to take place in silence, but instead, Daryl- Daryl Dixon, struck up a conversation.

"How long have you been here?"

"Uh... a couple of months?" Parker answered but to be fair she couldn't really remember. "Lori, Shane, Carl, and I were the ones who set up camp."

"Shane?" Daryl waited for her to explain how she knew Shane.

"Yeah.." Parker mumbled. "He is... he was.. my brother's best friend." She corrected herself quickly, sometimes she forgot Rick was actually gone.

"Was? Your brother didn't make it?" Daryl asked her.

"Nope," Parker responded, shaking her head. "He was a cop, like Shane. He was shot and was in a coma when the world ended, and he died." That just about sums it up.

"I'm sorry," Daryl told her just barely loud enough for her to even hear.

"Now it's my turn to ask questions. What were you doing before all of this?" Parker wanted to know more about the mysterious Daryl Dixon. She didn't realize it would be such a tense question, and when Daryl stiffened, Parker immediately backed away. "You don't have to answer." For some reason, she felt the need to let him know that.

"Not much." Daryl slowly answered. "I was only with Merle and my dad, but he was a piece of shit. The only good thing he taught was how to hunt." Parker realized that the topic was sensitive, so she didn't press Daryl for more answers.

"Well, before all this I was a teacher."

"You like kids?"

"Yeah." She immediately cringed when she realized how bad that sounded. "Okay, wait, that sounded wrong. I mean, I love my nephew and I would do anything for that child." Even if that meant dying.

"I can see that. I've seen the way you are with him." Daryl glanced slightly at her through the corner of his eye.

"I try to keep things normal for him," Parker just waved her arms in any direction. "This isn't a world I would have ever wanted him to grow up in. We used to play baseball but since all of this he hasn't wanted to."

"It's hard to blame him," Daryl said, before stopping and pointing to a bush. "There. Those are edible."

"You're sure?" Parker glanced between him and the bush.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Daryl scoffed as if her question was the most offensive thing in the world. "Of course I'm sure."

"I'm just checking," Parker gave Daryl a small smile. "Come on, I was just joking. I have to bring some light to the world."

"Just pick your berries," Daryl grumbled.

"I will, Mr. Grumpy." She teased him, and he crossed his arms, now on high alert of his surroundings while she was distracted. Daryl was different and Parker didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. One minute he was talking, and the next he was shutting down again. Parker wasn't sure why that was, but she knew that deep down, Daryl had the ability to care for those around him. Just as Parker had begun to accept this group as friends, she hoped Daryl would too. When Parker filled her bucket, Daryl offered to take her hunting with him. At first, she was hesitant, but when he promised to teach her how to shoot his crossbow, her interest was piqued. "What?" Parker asked, completely caught off guard by how nice he was being as she followed Daryl through the trees. "Why are you being nice to me?"

"Why not?" Parker almost tripped over a tree root before answering.

"I don't know, you just don't seem like the type of man who has a lot of friends. I don't mean any offense by saying that." She clarified, not wanting to come off as rude.

"No, you're right," Daryl shrugged. "I only have my brother."

"Well, not anymore," Parker replied. "You have us."

"More mouths to feed," Daryl muttered, stopping abruptly.

"Yeah, but more people to have as friends," Parker said in a sing-song voice. "It's not that bad."

"Whatever," Daryl grumbled. "Look." He pointed to a small animal. Looking through the trees, Parker saw a rabbit standing among the leaves. She made a soft 'aw' sound and Daryl rolled his eyes as he silently raised his crossbow. "Women. So soft."

"I'm not soft," Parker whispered. "It's just cute."

"Yeah, well," Daryl said, firing his crossbow. "He's dead."

"Lovely." She scoffed at his bluntness.

"Do you want to starve?" Daryl asked, going to pick up the rabbit. Parker didn't say anything and Daryl almost smiled, a smug look on his face. "I thought so."

"You're good," Parker said, pointing to the rabbit. "Really good."

"Are you good at shooting?" Parker shrugged her shoulders in response.

"I defend myself with a gun. Rick... Rick used to take me to the shooting range. He told me that 'Because I lived alone I should know how to defend myself.'" She finger-quoted the phrase her brother would tell her all the time.

"Who's Rick?"

"My brother. The one I was telling you about. Carl's father."

"I'm sorry," Daryl said again as they walked back to camp. "Must've been hard."

"I didn't see him leave." Parker admitted to him, "I heard it from Shane. He brought us here and kept the three of us safe."

"He seems like a good guy," Daryl stated.

"I guess." Parker nodded, "He's taken care of us since this happened." As they walked back to camp, Daryl saw his brother, silently said goodbye to Parker, and left her. Parker watched him go, confused momentarily, but then she remembered the bucket in her hands. Heading towards Lori and Carol, Parker shook the bucket lightly.

"I have the good stuff," Parker approached them smiling.

"That has nothing to do with Daryl, does it?" Lori raised an eyebrow.

"Jesus, Lori!" Parker responded, putting the bucket down. "I meant I have berries." Lori smiled at Parker, a knowing look in her eyes. 

"Sure. The blush that's spread across your face says otherwise."

"Lori!" She hit her arm feeling embarrassed. "Stop talking."