Daring Dixon (A Daryl Dixon fanfiction)

Chapter 31

The gunshot rang out, echoing through the hills. The gun dropped from my hand as Shane dropped to the ground. I couldn't believe I had just done that. It was so unlike me to take the life of something else except in the occasion of mercy. But I had just killed a man.

The sound of running bodies came near, and before I could react every person from the group was crowded around me.

"What happened?"

"Did Shane hurt you?"

"Are you okay?"

Questions assaulted me from every angle. Dale came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to face him and buried my head in his shirt, crying. It was like crying to my dad. It was comforting.

I finally controlled myself, and Rick came up to me. "What happened?" he demanded. Right. Shane was his best friend.

"He forced himself upon me again. I told him last time he tried it that I'd shoot him the next time," I said. Rick shook his head.

"You can't agree with this?" Lori spit at Rick.

"What was she supposed to do, lay there silently while he did what he wanted to and then disposed of her?" Rick reasoned.

"Why shoot to kill? Why not threaten him with the gun and call out for help?" Lori demanded.

"Yeah, Lori, why not call out for help?" I spat at her. Her face drained of color.

"Look, I'm not saying that what Rosaline did was right, but it's what she had to do. We all need to accept that and move on," Rick insisted.

Most of the group nodded. Suddenly, I felt an arm around my waist and looked up to see it was Daryl. "You okay?" he asked. I nodded slightly.

"Let's get him back to camp and bury him with the others. Daryl, you think you can bring your truck around?" Rick asked. Daryl nodded and removed his arm from my waist. He turned to go back to the truck.

"You coming?" he asked of me. I nodded and followed him.

Out of the earshot of the rest of the group he turned to me. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"I'll get through it," I said with a sigh.

"He deserved what he got, you do know that, right?" he inquired.

"I know he deserved to be shot but he didn't deserve to die, if that makes any sense," I said. He shook his head. It obviously only made sense to me.

We arrived back at camp and I got into his truck. It was still the mess that it was when I first rode in it and I vowed once more to clean it the first time I had the chance.

Daryl got in and drove to where Shane's body was laying lifelessly on the ground. He and Rick loaded it onto the back of the truck and we went back to where all the others were buried.

I left and went back to the circle of chairs around the fire, not wanting to be there when false things about Shane were said. We all knew he was an ass but I could've guaranteed that everyone was saying things about what a good man Shane was. Especially Lori, who was most likely carrying his baby when it should've been Rick's.

It disgusted me that people only spoke highly of someone if they were dead. I didn't want any part of that. If you didn't like me before I died, fuck off when I'm dead.

I felt a presence behind me and I spun around. Daryl was standing behind me, leaning against a tree and staring at me intently. "Why aren't you over there kissing Shane's ass like the rest of them?" I asked him softly with a hint of a sarcastic edge. He chuckled a bit.

"I don't see the need," he replied. I nodded.

"If I die, don't let anyone who didn't like me or vice versa into my funeral, understand?" I asked. He nodded his head, but his face looked troubled. "Even if it's only you there."

He gave me a puzzled look and then glanced behind me. I turned to see the whole group standing there, watching us and listening intently.

"We'd all be there, Rosaline. You can be sure of that," Rick assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, and I really did think he meant it. But I could tell by the looks on Lori and Andrea's face that they did not feel the same way.

"You got a moment?" Rick asked me quietly. I nodded, confused as to what he could possibly need me for, and I followed him a little ways from the group.

"What do you need?" I asked when we were out of earshot.

"I don't blame you for what you did earlier, but I don't think everyone feels the same way," he said. I nodded. I knew that already. "I want you to be careful. I don't think Lori will hurt you but I'm not so sure about Andrea. Just watch your back, alright?"

"I'll be careful. I know that Lori and Andrea aren't happy but I had no choice," I assured Rick. He nodded and I turned to leave.

"One more thing," he said, and I turned around to face him. "Jordan can stay as long as he would like. He seems to be a good man and with you and Daryl sharing a bed," Rick's face turned red, "we should have enough room."

"What makes you think Daryl and I will be sharing a bed?" I demanded, wanting to watch him squirm.

"I just, erm, thought that, you know, with you two being so close now and all, that you'd be sharing a room," he said, staring down at his shoes, a blush still prominent upon his face..

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing that we're close," I teased. Rick turned even redder and shifted uncomfortably.

"You two seem good for each other. You're both calmer now," he said.

"Thank you," I said. He nodded.

"Go on back to camp, I'll be back in a second," Rick said.

I went back to camp and found Glenn and Maggie sitting together at the fire. "How are you  two?" I asked, sitting next to the both of them.

"We're good," Glenn said, and I noticed that their hands were intertwined with one another.

"You seem to be happy," Maggie said with a wink. I knew she was referring to Daryl since she knew that we were having trouble when we first arrived.

"I am," I said, blushing faintly and giving a small smile.

"Well you don't deserve to be happy," I heard Andrea say behind me and I whipped around to look at her. "You fucking killed Shane you bitch. You had no right!" Andrea yelled towards me.

"Andrea, I did what I had to do, so I sure as hell don't have to answer to you," I said, trying to stay calm but getting more pissed by the second.

"You didn't have to do anything! You don't deserve to be in this group. You don't deserve our protection, our food, and our medical supplies. Hell, you don't even deserve that redneck trash that you fuck every now and then!" she spat.

I took a deep breath, trying to control my temper. I wanted to go over there and kick her ass, but two casualties in one day caused by me seemed like a bit much. I stood, walked up to Andrea and stood nose to nose with her. "You better stay out of my business from now on. What I do is my personal business. So keep your nose out of it," I warned, and then stalked off.

Hello readers!

Over 4,000 reads?!? What? You guys are awesome! Woo hoo!

What do you guys think of this chapter? It's one of the longer ones I have because I really wanted to put in some conflict.

I have some bad news. For you at least. Tomorrow I move into the dorms at a nearby college for two weeks. Therefore, I will have no internet, which means I cannot update. :-( However, I may be able to covertly get on in a computer class or on the weekends. And I might get the wifi password, who knows. But if I don't update for two weeks, please do not hunt me down. I am not dead. I am just sitting behind a desk bored out of my mind and planning the next few chapters. :-)

I hoped you liked this chapter! Don't forget to vote, comment, fan, and share!