𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑 • 𝐓𝐖𝐃 ✔︎

2

"Rin! What the hell is the matter with ya! Why would ya risk yourself like that?" Merle shouted as he ran up to her and the walker she was running around with.

Merle put down the walker with Rin's protests blocked out, then which resulted in Rin shouting at him back. It always hurt him when she did over a reason that was logical in her head.

"Why would ya do that? She was my friend! She was my friend! She was my friend!" Rin shouted, not caring if any more walkers showed up, "How would ya feel if I killed you? How would YOU?"

Merle had seen Rin upset before, but she never threatened him or Daryl. This was new.

Rin let out a breath before walking away, leaving Merle alone to his thoughts, the thoughts that scared him the most, his own blood relative would kill him.

Rin has had played with walkers before, but Merle or Daryl never knew about it, not even at night. Rin just wanted a friend to stay with her for a short while before leading her away.

Daryl was making his way back to their camp when he heard Merle grumbling to himself about something, "Hey, ugly, what's the matter now?"

"Yer sick 'n the head daughter was playing around with a damn walker, that's what!" Merle exclaimed, walking over to where Daryl was, "She threatened me this time, and it scared the hell out of me!"

Daryl looked at him as if he grew three heads. Was he talking about the same daughter? Rin? Was she actually putting herself at risk like that?

"Merle, did ya see where she went?" Daryl asked in a stern tone.

Merle shook his head and went back to their camp to lie down and take a nap, get the words from Rin out of his head, leaving Daryl on his own.

Letting out a tired sigh, Daryl went out to find Rin. He knew she wouldn't go far out so she wouldn't be too hard to find. At least, that's what he hoped.

Daryl had spent ten minutes trying to find Rin but he hadn't yet, he was just about to go back and tell Merle to move the camp until he saw someone walking his way, he grabbed his crossbow and called out, then a familiar voice called back making him sigh in relief.

"Dad, it's me dammit! Don't shoot me." Rin said, still walking closer to him.

"Goddammit, Rin, where the hell have ya been? Ya know, Merle told me ya were with walkers when they could have fuckin' bitten ya!" Daryl exclaimed, making Rin flinch.

"He killed my friend! She wasn't doing anythin' wrong!"

Daryl sighs, "Did ya threaten him, or not Rin? All I need is a yes or a no."

Rin looked at the ground, and her expression changed from irritated to sadness. She didn't like it when Daryl was upset with her, but again, what daughter or son did?

Rin nodded, still looking at the leaves and broken sticks on the ground.

Daryl sighed again, putting his hand around Rin's shoulder and walking them back to the camp where they saw Merle sleeping on his sleeping bag.

It was also starting to get late, Daryl hadn't found much, only four squirrels, but that was enough for one night as they were going to get moving early the next day.

Rin hadn't said anything to Merle once he woke up. She knew he didn't want to talk to her until he spoke, so that's how things were until he was ready to.

Later, it was pitch dark out, and Daryl and Merle had made the campfire and squirrels to eat. It was a comfortable silence until Rin had finished eating, "I - I uh, I need to use the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute." Rin said before leaving the campfire.

A moment after, with silence, Merle broke it, "Do ya think she hates me now?"

Daryl shook his head, "No, just speak to her, I know she wants to speak to ya."

Merle nodded, "Noted."

It went back to silence until Rin came back and sat down next to Daryl, Daryl looked over to Merle and nodded, motioning him to speak.

"Uh, girlie, can I -"

"I'm sorry, Uncle Merle..." Rin said, not looking at him or Daryl.

The brothers glanced at Rin as she looked at the fire, "I didn't mean to say those things to ya, yer mad at me, I know it..."

Merle reached over to place his hand on Rin's hand, "No, girlie, no, I'm not mad, I could never be mad at ya for a long while. I've gotten over it. I'm not mad at ya girlie."

Rin had a small smile on her face. He called her girlie more times than one, and that definitely told Rin he wasn't mad.

She looked up and nodded, "I'm sorry still, I didn't mean it, what I said to ya."

Merle nodded with a smile on his face before everything went back to normal for the night, Daryl and Merle continued to eat before Daryl was on night watch till morning.

Their dynamic was something else, to say the least. The Dixon Brothers couldn't stay mad at something Rin thought was right in her head. Even though it wasn't right, nothing could break a bond that they had.

Once morning came, Daryl woke up Rin and Merle. They packed up their sleeping bags and their bags and went along to find somewhere they could stay for a while.

Soon, they'd been walking for an hour or two before Rin spotted a cottage looking house. Since she was more ahead, she looked back and yelled.

"Guys! Guys, I see a house! Come on!"

The brothers didn't get a chance to speak, and Rin ran, towards the house, she could hear Daryl shout out for her to slow down but Rin was right in front of the house by the time.

Daryl and Merle looked at the house once they stopped next to Rin to take in the old abandoned cottage. It had vines on it in every direction. The house was grey-ish brick. The house was the size of a two floor home.

Rin pulled out her knife and went in with Daryl behind her, Rin knew they had to kill walkers, but she also didn't want or have to kill all of them, besides she was looking out for people. Merle stayed outside for the lookout.

The home had no walkers or people in it, which was a relief for Rin. She had taken a liking to it already as Daryl could tell.

"Come on, let's get Merle in here and settle in, yeah?"

"Mhm!"

The whole day went by as the brothers made the house more roomy and checked the yard. They could definitely grow crops or just hunt for animals here.

Merle and Daryl found a bedroom that Rin could stay in as one of them either sleep on the couch or their sleeping bags beside the bed in the bedroom.

They ate what Daryl hunted in the woods, and all had actual sleep in the cottage for once since the apocalypse started. They were thankful for Rin being up ahead of them, or they would have completely missed this cottage if they went a different way.

By tomorrow, they would start hunting for bigger animals and getting the yard cleared, but for now, they would enjoy their sleep.