Survivor - TWD (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 21 - Claimed

"This isn't happening

I'm not here"

By Radiohead

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two Months Earlier...

The Governor had disappeared, and Rick knew it was time to take care of his family first. For him, that meant putting away the gun and trying to give Carl and Judith something resembling a life. He didn't want his son to turn out like him.

So Rick kept to his crops. He had told the group he was done making decisions, suggested they form a council, and since then, he attended a couple of meetings each week. But after a while, he stopped showing up altogether, always too busy checking on the pigs or planting new crops.

Rick trusted the council. It was made up of people he knew were capable, people who had earned his respect. A month had passed since they began welcoming new survivors into the prison, and Rick hadn't had any issues. He felt a sense of pride in what they had built—a community, a place to call home.

And while Rick was friendly to most of the newcomers, welcoming them with open arms, there was one person he still couldn't bring himself to trust.

Nelly.

He didn't know why. Maybe it was because she had been watching the prison for days, sneaking around without anyone noticing, even stealing supplies from Woodbury. It was strange, really. He trusted Michonne at this point, but he couldn't bring himself to do the same with Nelly.

Yet, Nelly had proven herself time and again. She saved Michonne's life—if it weren't for her, Michonne wouldn't have made it back to the prison. She had brought the baby formula that saved Judith. She helped rescue Maggie and Glenn and then returned for Daryl. When Woodbury first attacked, she saved Carol. She even helped Carl clear out the infirmary, indirectly saving Hershel's life.

She cared for Michonne when Rick almost handed her over to the Governor, though that moment had escalated—Nelly had punched Rick, but he couldn't deny that she stood by them. She was there for Daryl, too, in ways that only he understood.

Nelly was capable—Rick couldn't deny that. She knew how to handle herself in a fight, quick with her swords, and sharp with a gun. She was smart, stealthy, and always on alert.

Maybe that was the reason Rick didn't trust her—she intimidated him. There was something about her quiet intensity, her unpredictable nature, her hot-headedness. She was guarded, barely speaking unless she had to.

Rick didn't like her.

He couldn't understand why Carl seemed to. He had seen them together—talking, playing soccer, drawing. Carl seemed drawn to her company, and Rick tried to accept it, but it gnawed at him.

He'd tried to make an effort, once, offering her a good morning. She didn't respond. After that, he stopped trying.

And then there were her nightmares. They terrified Rick, though he'd never admit it. He had seen her flinch and twitch in her sleep, starting with muttering and escalating into blood-curdling screams. When she woke Judith up, it made Rick furious. He knew she had been through a lot, but he was relieved when she moved into Tower Four, away from the cellblocks.