Complicated ✔

Ch. 29 - Hero

DARYL'S POV

I was out walking to try and keep away from my little camp for a while, just in case anyone else decided to pay me a little visit tonight. I found myself over near the barn that had been filled with walkers hours earlier. The pain I saw on everyone's faces, but more importantly Kathryn's and Carol's faces, was devastating when that little girl walked out of the barn. Kathryn believed almost more than I did that we'd find her safe and sound, even went out looking for her with a shot shoulder and an injured leg. But it was all for nothing. We risked our lives in those woods looking for a little girl who had been in this damn barn the whole time.

Just as I was going to walk away, I heard a scream that made my blood run cold. "Help," they shouted, but even without seeing them I knew who it was. Looking around, I tried to figure out where it came from when I heard another shout but this time helping me pinpoint where they were at. "Help me," they cried out again as I ran to the barn door. When I opened that door and ran in, the sight before me had me seeing nothing but red. Dropping my crossbow to the ground by the door, I ran over to Shane before dragging him off of Kathryn as she lay on her back in tears with her top lifted up and her shorts tossed off to the side.

My fists came into contact with Shane's face, over and over, and over again. I was pissed and didn't care if I literally beat the man within an inch of his life. When I heard him groan out as I went to punch him again, I grabbed to fists full of his shirt before lifting him up and his head falling back slightly. "What the fuck is wrong with you," I snarled out as I pulled his bloodied face towards mine in anger, "your own friend's daughter?! If I ever see you near Kathryn again and lay your hands on her, I'll kill you. Do you understand me?!" I didn't wait for a reply before I let him drop and leaving him laying there as I turned to Kathryn, grabbing her discarded clothes before cautiously making my way towards her. She had rolled onto her side and was curled up into a fetal position as tears fell down her cheeks.

KATHRYN'S POV

"Hey," I heard his deep voice whisper as I whimpered out, turning my head slightly to peer up at Daryl with blurred vision from the tears. I just stared at him, still in shock that I had almost been raped by my dad's best friend and the weight of losing Sophia was still there adding to it. "Here," he whispered out as he held my clothes out awkwardly towards me, "can I help you? I won't try to pull anything. I just wanna get ya outta here." Wiping at the tears under my eyes, I nodded before taking his other outstretched hand and allowing him to help pull me to my feet before he knelt down in front of me and held my clothes out for me to climb into. It was sad that I trusted Daryl more than my dad's friend, but what just happened was proof that I wasn't in the wrong for where my trust was.

I didn't even seem to register the fact that I was half naked in front of this man as I pulled my top back down before allowing him to help me climb into my underwear and short. Although he was nice enough to allow me to pull the articles of clothing up and fasten my own shorts when they grew closer to my hips. I was shivering from the shock of things as we walked towards the barn door, Daryl walking between myself and the now unconscious Shane laying on the barn floor. We stopped long enough at the barn door for Daryl to grab his crossbow and sling the strap over his shoulder before his hand found its place on my upper back and guided me out of the barn where we were greeted with members of the group.

"What happened," Maggie asked as she and Carol were the first two to reach us with others closing in, "I heard shouting. Was that you Kathryn?" I couldn't find my voice as I just stared off into space, looking past all the concerned people of my group like they weren't even there, but I could still hear them. "She was almost raped," I heard Daryl mutter out lowly to her and Carol before the others got to us to hear, knowing I didn't want many people to know. "Oh my God," I heard Carol gasp as my attention finally landed on the two before me, Maggie holding her hands up to her mouth. "By who," she asked as she quickly pulled me away from Daryl and wrapped her arms around me. "Shane," he growled the name out, me whimpering from just hearing it.

MAGGIE'S POV

"I think it's best if she stayed in the house for a little while," Carol said from beside me as I held a shaking Kathryn closer to me while looking at a fuming Daryl. "I think you're right," I said nodding, "she can stay in my room with me. C'mon sweetie let's go get you inside and cleaned up." I turned her away, ignoring the confused looks from the rest of her group as I led her inside the house and upstairs to the bathroom. She was filthy, and my only guess was that she'd been inside the barn when it happened, at least that's the direction she and Daryl walked from. In the few days they'd been here on my dad's farm, I had never see Daryl look so pissed and protective over anyone in the group. He generally kept to himself, and I merely thought he just put up with Kathryn being around him so much, but maybe not.

I sat Kathryn on the toilet after closing the lid down before walking out to the hall closet and grabbing a hand towel. Returning back to the bathroom, she still sat in the same position, just staring off into space. "He did a number to you didn't he," I asked in a quiet whisper as I ran the towel under warm water in the sink before gently grabbing her hand and stretching it out as I gingerly wiped away at the dirt on her arm. Her eyes moved down to watch what I was doing as I brushed away the dirt that covered her arms from the incident. Finishing with one arm, I moved on to the next, keeping the movements small and slow as to not startle her.

KATHRYN'S POV

I watched as Maggie continued what she was doing, cleaning away the dirt and dust that had collected onto my body when I had been fighting against Shane and then just laying there while Daryl beat him senseless. She was acting like I was fragile, and I hated it but I guess it could be expected after what happened, especially when I hadn't said a word since. "I'm not a china doll," I whispered out, causing her to look up at me, "I'm not made of glass. I won't break. I'm just shaken up right now." "I'm sorry," she said looking up at me and giving me a sad smile. "It's not like I really was raped," I said and shuddered at the word, "Daryl got there and prevented it from happening." "Just barely from the sound of it," she said, "if he hadn't heard you cry out when he did then Shane would have."

"I know but it didn't happen," I said looking into her worried filled eyes and put a weak smile on my face, "but you can't tell my dad. No body can." "Why," she asked shocked as she sat back on her heels in front of me and stared up at me like I was crazy. "Dad's got enough on his plate right now as is," I said shaking my head, "he'll feel like shit if he comes back to find out his daughter was almost raped by his best friend. And then there's the part where my step mother is pregnant and there's no telling if he knows yet or not and if he does he doesn't need to stress out over this small matter of what didn't happen and that baby too." "Fine," she said narrowing her eyes at me, "but you have to tell him eventually. Or I will. He's your father and has a right to know." "Fine," I said as she stood up and discarded the damp towel.

"C'mon," she said holding her hand out to me when she came back, "you need rest. You'll stay in my room with me." "I don't want to impose," I said shaking my head, "I'll stay outside in mine and Carl's tent where I belong." "I'm not letting you sleep out there near him after all of this," she said shaking her head, "besides I think Daryl would have my ass if I let you go out there right now." "Daryl," I asked as I felt my cheeks betray me. "Yes Daryl," she said smiling, "let me tell you I don't know your group that well, or for long that matter, but I do know I've never seen him act the way he did tonight since your group's been here." I felt my cheeks heating up more as she showed me to her room before motioning for me to go on in. "Get some rest," she said, "hopefully Rick, Glenn, and my dad will be back in the morning." I nodded before she closed the door, leaving me alone to my thoughts, which automatically went to the redneck that saved me tonight.

So, I was gonna go to bed but then was like nah I've made y'all wait long enough for this update so there you go. If its not as good as normal its because it's going on 1am here and I haven't been to bed yet so I wrote this some what half asleep.
- Kenz