The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 14 - Distractions

Please checkout my new book called 'Red Right Hand,' It has been completed. I wrote it in celebration for Halloween and it's a Scream fanfic.

The sun was beginning to set as I watched it disappearing behind the mountains on the side of the veranda. I sat on the railing, one leg pulled to my chest as the other hung loose on the outside, resting my back against a pole.

"Thought you might want some tea." Maggie interrupted, holding out a mug for me to take that I did gratefully.

"Thanks." I nodded as Maggie took up a seat on the railing in front of me, remaining silent and joining me in watching the setting sun. "It was a low blow, I know," I decided to speak up, "but I guess I wanted to remind her of how it felt."

"Look I know you feel like you have to protect us, you always have, especially Beth. Shawn was the same with her, but..."

"Yeah, well, Shawn's dead, Maggie and I'd rather Beth didn't join him." It came out harsher than I meant it to, but Maggie knew that and ignored my tone.

"I know."

"I'm not going to apologize." I stated stubbornly, looking back out across the land.

"I didn't think you would. It's who you are. You know exactly what you're doing every second of every day. You wouldn't do something you thought needed apologizing for. Besides, I did the same thing."

"You did?"

"Yeah, well... not to the same extent as you... but I think Andrea got the point."

"I don't think she did. She's stubborn and relentless. Believes everything she does was the right thing. She'll never apologize or say any different. I guess she's like me that way, but we're just on different sides and it's her pride that drives her."

Maggie chuckled. "You're talking like this is war."

"It's family." I stated simply in a small voice. "Anything that tries to come between that... It will be war."

"That's what I thought about Annette when dad first married her." Maggie replied, taking up a seat next to me on the bed. "Thought she was going to come between us. Thought she had made dad betray mum even though mum was already gone... but you didn't." Maggie looked over at me. "You took in Shawn as a little brother immediately just like how you're doing with Jimmy now. You never called Annette mum or anything and you two didn't act like mother and daughter, but you were friends and you still loved each other. I can see you're accepting Glenn as well and even some of Rick's group... but Kat... Rick's group, they treat each other like family. They are a family... you can't just pick and choose. It's all of them or none of them."

"I'm not picking and choosing, Mags. I know that it's all or none and I know that we need more numbers if we're going to survive this new world." I looked over at Maggie. "Otherwise I would have kicked Andrea and Shane out with the rest of them." I explained calmly, taking a sip of tea. "I think I'm going to go and sit with Beth for a bit."

"I was just with her, she's asleep. Why don't you go down to the shed and work on the truck? It might clear your head. We'll come get you if anything happens."

I waited for a moment and then nodded, beginning to stand and then walk out to the shed. I turned the light on and then placed the still warm cup of tea on the table by the engine parts before lifting up Betty's bonnet.

The driving belt was about due for a change. It was still safe to drive, but within a month or so it probably wouldn't be, so that's what I began to work on after tying my hair into a ponytail. I managed to stay relatively clean this time, not entirely ruining my shirt with oil, at least not noticeably as it was black singlet.