Lost | Daryl Dixon

21 - Secrets

C/W - Discussion of abortion (as shown in the TV Show)

Also, please comment: do you prefer the mixture of flashbacks being in the middle of different areas like she's thinking of them, or would you prefer them at the beginning and end of each chapter?

Also is there a preference in POVs? I generally prefer third person but I know a lot of people like first-person POV's for fanfics so please let me know.

*Took a while as I did some editing of previous chapters*

Third Person POV

Elizabeth sat sharpening her knife and axe, finding something to keep her mind off an hour after Glenn and Maggie went to town. Lori walked up to her. "I need to apologise to you," Lori whispered, as the woman turned around to face her. She shook her head, not out of sincere forgiveness. No. Elizabeth was utterly heartbroken, but relieved. That she wouldn't admit. A very small part of her was glad - not on Lori's part, no. But that she wasn't insane for not trusting Shane. That she could understand his behaviour swinging back and forth.

That he'd manipulated her, and made her feel insane, recently. She wasn't insane. He was just wrong.

Him? She'd never forgive. She couldn't forgive Lori, either. But at the very least she could understand - if she had a child, maybe she'd do the same in fear of protecting that child's life.

"Lori, nothing you say will help this hurt in my heart," She stared at her. "But I think subconsciously I knew, I knew how weird you both were the whole time. And, I'm sorry - I knew Shane was using Carl as a proxy when I miscarried. But I didn't know how severely." She took a deep breath, eyes flicking to the tents. She could see Daryl sat in his, quietly to himself. Her eyes flickering back to Lori, she swallowed hard despite her mouth drying. "I'm leaving him, I've already removed my things from the tent. I can't be with him, not after you. Not after the CDC..." I looked at her. "If you're not having this baby, he can't know. All he's ever wanted is to be a dad. If he finds out there's a chance..."

"It's Ricks," She insisted, looking at her sister-in-law. Elizabeth levelled a look at her but made no argument as the gate suddenly swung open with a loud screeching note, a very angry-looking Maggie appearing as Elizabeth stood up in confusion, looking at Glenn chasing after her.

"Hey! We got your stuff," She yelled at Lori, who looked confused and shocked. Her head flicked to her ex-best friend who shrugged, offering no defence.

That's when it hit Lori - she didn't know why the pain and fear soaked her skin like rain then. She'd lost Elizabeth as a friend - Elizabeth was not there; her eyes were grey and empty as they met hers. There was no love, no curiosity, no compassion. She looked at Lori as you look at a car crash on the side of the road.

"Maggie, hang on, please," Glenn called over, struggling to stop her. Elizabeth tucked her axe away as she watched Maggie ripping open the bag, face dropping when she saw blood on the woman's shirt. Is she bit?

Lori's face dropped further for a moment - seeing the emotional self reappear for some stranger - a girl neither of them knew, but disappearing for her showed her how badly she'd fucked up.

She had lost her best friend.

Lori started towards her tent, "Come on in here-" She began, as Maggie began throwing things on the floor, desperate for privacy.

"Why? Nothing to hide. We got your special delivery right here," She spat at the woman who looked terrified of people overhearing. "We got your lotion, got your conditioner, your Soap Opera Digest..."