Daryl's Girl

Chapter 60

Once Daryl had pulled me away, I left him and made my way over to Hershal. He was talking to Beth, Maggie and Glenn about something but stopped when I got closer. The least I could do was tell him my dad was here. It was up to them whether they wanted to fix things or not, depending on if my dad and Norman do stay.

"I wished you'd stop walking off like that, but I'm glad you're safe." Hershal smiled.

"I'm sorry. I just thought I could get what we needed and get back, before we're out in the open for too long." I smiled back but it didn't last too ling. "I need to tell you something."

"Alright. I was just telling them how me and your father-" He glanced over my shoulder and then stopped.

"Yeah, about that." I sighed and stepped out of the way.

I'd never seen Hershal so speechless as he stepped forward and stood completely still. My dad was looking straight back at him. The pair of them just stood, silently watching one another, as if they'd just seen a ghost.

The rest of us all went quiet and watched as both men nodded. That was then followed by the both of them walking towards each other where they then shared a hug, slapping each other's backs. They haven't seen or spoken to each other for at least twenty years, maybe more. It was nice to see them eventually hug it out, but I couldn't help but notice Norman quietly keeping his distance from us all.

I tried to ignore him as both my dad and Hershal began talking but I couldn't. I knew Norman too well, and when he's this quiet, it's not a good thing. It never has been, so I walked over and stood next to him, facing the others. He still didn't say anything.

"What are you doing?" I asked glancing over to him and back over to the others.

"What are you talking about?" He replied. 

"I know when you're this quiet, you're planning something, so tell me." I pouted and crossed my arms.

Norman sighed before grabbing my arm and walking us a little further down the road, away from the others. "It was us." He mumbled. I just looked at him and crossed my arms again. "We rigged that station to explode when the pumps were turned on." He then stopped and I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. "We'd rigged the store too, but for some reason it didn't go off. If it had. You and I wouldn't be having this conversation. Both you and that kid would've been dead."

I backed away from him as my blood ran cold. It was because of both Norman and my own father that Carl and I could've died. "You were watching?...And you didn't try and stop us. Why the hell would you do that?" I yelled.

"It was your father's idea. We wanted to kill these bastards from a town we came across. They came right after it had gone off." He snapped back. "They dug some sort of pit for walkers to fall into. Then they'd occasionally go in the store or the station to get supplies. We thought you were with them." He didn't have to say anymore. I knew which town he he was on about.

"Woodbury?" I asked.

"That's the one." He nodded. "Your dad's changed, Lily. After we left Briana and her sister, I suggested we go back and get them so we could look for you and Tyler. He didn't. He told me that you were a dead cause. Said it would've been better if you'd never been born." He glanced over to my dad. "I can't stand around and watch him try and play happy families after what he's said."

Was this true? What Norman was saying? I was fuming. Why would my own father say something like that? I know things have been tricky lately but after all these years I thought we were closer than that. How could he say that about his own daughter? Then again, maybe Norman's right. it wasn't like him to sneak up on people and try and take them out. 

"Are you serious?" I growled, clenching my fists and trying to calm myself down.

Norman nodded his head. "How long have you known me? Why would I lie about something like this? It's sick."

As he spoke, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I was pissed. My anger was took over and I began to walk away. Norman then tried grabbing hold of my arm to stop me but I pulled away and shoved him backwards. I had no control. After my mum passed, my dad was the closest person I thought I had. Was that all a lie too?

I stormed back down the road. My blood boiling, my fists clenched and anger filling my body. I could hear people asking what was wrong, but I didn't listen. I was so focused on heading straight for the son of a bitch who I thought used to be my loving, supportive father.

"Lily." He smiled as he turned away from Hershal.

"I don't know what the hell you're smiling for." I screeched. The smile then disappeared from his face and everyone's heads turned. "Dead cause, am I? Wished I'd never been born, had you? You son of a bitch!" I screeched again as I could feel the tears in my eyes and could hear Norman calling down the road after me. Before I knew it I swung and began beating the shit out of my own father. 

Punch after punch, I didn't stop. I couldn't. Then I felt some muscular arms wrap around my waist and pick me up so that I was off of my feet and away from my dad. The same arms that saved me on the highway and hugged me when I was down.

Daryl threw me over his shoulder and walked up the road away from everyone else, just like Norman had done, but i was still in no control. I kicked my legs in the air and tapped on his back. "Put me down!" I yelled still with the tears in my eyes. Daryl ignored me and kept walking.

He eventually put me down up the road. "Lily, what's going on?" He snapped.

Still fuming, I rolled my eyes and tried to run passed him and back over to my dad who was being helped by the others. Daryl wouldn't let me. He put out his arm and stood in front of me, stopping me from going anywhere. "Daryl just get out of my way. I can handle this." I spat.

"You call that handling it. Beating your own dad. What's he said?" Daryl grabbed hold of my wrists and lifted my head to look at him.

"Norman. He told me that my dad had said he wished I'd never been born. That i was just a dead cause." I said bluntly. "Not only that but he left my best friend in the middle of no where to survive on her own with nothing. You know, they also rigged that station to explode and were watching Carl and I, yet they didn't do anything." I snapped trying to wave my arms around, but Daryl still had a tight grip on them. "Carl and I could've died by the likes of my own father."

Daryl sighed and closed his eyes for a second. He still wouldn't let me go. "That's nothing compared to what my dad used to do to me and my brother." He stopped and looked directly at me before glancing over to the others.

"What did he do?" I asked as I found I was slowly beginning to calm down from seeing such a look of disappointment on Daryl's face.

"My mum died when I was young. My dad. He used to beat us. Whip us. When he was around, my whole childhood was gone. At least you had someone to turn to. All I had was myself." He sighed.

"What about your brother? Where was he?" I asked again with a bit more of a calmer tone to my voice.

Daryl grunted and shook his head. "Merle was of in juvie most of the time. He left when he could."

I felt awful. I know what it's like, losing a mum, but having a dad like that. That's nothing compared. Then it hit me. Merle was the name of his brother. I knew it sounded familiar when I heard it back at Woodbury. That Merle had to have been Daryl's brother.

"What?" Daryl asked as I broke eye contact.

"Nothing." I sighed sympathetically and hugged him. I didn't know how to feel when he didn't hug me back. I thought it was best not to tell him about Merle after the story he's just told. I couldn't not tell him, could I? I then let go and looked back at him to see he had no emotion at all on his face. Then his eyes widened and he let out a sigh. "Wha-"

"We need to go!" He interrupted and grabbed my arm, pulling me back down to the others.