never strong enough, twd

07. BEETLE? BUG? SAME THING

"Millie?!" Shane shouted as he marched down the hill, sending chills down her back.

Millie sprang from the RV stairs, rushing towards the sound of his voice.

"Dad!" She called out racing towards her father, "I tried going with Aunty Lori, I really did." She says catching her breath as Shane kneels to her height. "You're okay though, right?" He says, worry consuming his voice. He brushed the hair from her face, and eventually his eyes travelled down to her hands. "How'd you manage that?" He mutters.

"Im okay. I locked the RV door too, Jim was still inside making weird noises though." She rambles nervously fiddling with her broken necklace. "Can you fix it?" Millie asks, showing the broken clamp. With a nod, Shanes's attention was then brought to Carol overhearing what Millie said. She gestured for the RV keys frantically.

Millie dug into her overalls pocket, gently chucking them to Carol who practically sprinted to Jim.

"You did a good job, Mils, you did. Staying by the RV was the safest thing to do, locking it too? When'd you get so smart?" He chuckles, standing upright as he ruffled her hair.

"Thanks." She mutters with a slight giggle.

"You go sit down, alright? I need to talk to Lori." He says, patting her shoulder.

"Why? Are you mad at her?" Millie asks, looking up at her father.

"No, I just need to talk to her."

"She said you were okay with me staying with Carol, then Carol left— it's not her fault, please don't be mad at her." Millie pleads, a faint frown creasing her brow.

"Amelia, I said I'm not mad," He says, caressing her cheek with a reassuring tone. "Now go be a good girl and sit down." He nods, walking towards the RV where Lori is sitting.

"Okay." She sighs to herself. Dragging her feet she focused on her necklace, attempting to push the clamp back together. Her focus was suddenly on Daryl, sitting right where she was meant to. She shot her head back towards her father, to see his back to her squatting down and talking to Lori. Putting her lips in a line, Millie tried to hide her smile. She had a chance to talk to Daryl again, this time she had an excuse— he was sitting in her spot.

Sitting down on the crate a little away from Daryl, she locked eyes on his hands. He was sharpening his knife, Dale's opened toolbox right by his feet.

"Hi." She says with a blank expression on her face. Daryl lifted his head, looking right at Millie, then back down at his knife without a word.

Millie didn't look away, just kept watching how he sharpened his knife. He did it differently from Millie, he was a lot faster.

"Thought your dad told you to stay 'way from me." He grunts.

"He did. He told me to sit here too, so it's not my fault." She shrugs.

With a quick half laugh, Daryl finally looked up. "What you got?" He nods to her hands.

"My necklace, it broke." She answers, with another shrug.

"That beetle one I always see you got on?" He asks.

"It's a ladybug." She corrects him, her eyes squinted.

"Beetle, bug same thing." He mutters, sticking his hand out. "Give it here then."

Hesitantly, Millie quickly checks to see her father is still looking away before she hands Daryl the necklace. She watches as he grabs a pair of pliers from the toolbox and squeezes the clamp back together.

As Daryl goes to hand it back to her, his suddenly stopped by the sound of Shane's voice.

"Daryl. What're you doing man?" Shane calls out, approaching them.