Bitterly *Daryl Dixon Love Story*

Bitten *Daryl Dixon Love Story*

A distant figure appeared at the edge of the farm late in the day just before the sun set. It moved slow but smoothly as it grew closer to where Rick sat on the porch. He sat up alert ready for a walker. Rifle in hand he stood, but eases as he saw the figure had a big white tale swaying back and forth as it moved.

"Hershel?" Rick called "Someones ridin'

Hershel stepped out onto the porch looking up to the setting sun then across to the figure.

"Ah, it's just my niece, Brooklyn ." Hershel

"Where's she been since we got here?" Rick asked

"She doesn't live right on the farm, a town over with my brother in law and other family. She rides in from time to time to make sure all is well and tell me that it is so on her end. "

"All by herself? Aren't you worried about a walker gettin' her?"

"No" Hershel said shaking his head and grinning "She's a smart girl just like my sister was."

Rick wanted to ask Hershel about his sister, hoping it wasn't a walker that made her leave this earth but before he could speak again Brooklyn and her horse reached the porch. She jumped down from her horse and swong a large canvas bag over her shoulder.

"Uncle Hershel, nice to see you." she said embracing him in a warm hug.

"My dear, how are you? And the rest?" he said

"I'm fine, you know Daddy's still hanging in there, so are the others. I brought some batteries Daddy and I found in town in case y'all needed them."

"That's good." He grinned glancing at Rick "We have a few more guests right now, they could come in handy."

"I'm Rick, Rick Grimes." Rick said extending his hand to Vera.

"Nice to meet you I'm Brooklyn ." She shook his hand and beamed a big smile at him. "Uncle doesn't usually have extra people around, I'm surprised."

"And I'm very grateful to him that he has let us in to his home." Rick said looking up at Hershel.

Hershel looked down at his shoes with hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heals.

"Are you staying the night hun?" he said looking up again.

"Daddy doesn't want me riding in the dark, if y'all don't mind."

"Of course not, we could use your nursing skills around right about now."

Brooklyn slipped inside smiling once again back at Rick. Rick sat and looked off into the distance debating what he should say to Hershel.

"Was it the virus?" Rick asked "I mean for your sister."

Hershel sighed taking a seat in the rocking chair beside Rick.

"She got sick when this all started, we didn't think it was the virus, she didn't have the usual symptoms. We thought it was just a cold or something, I think it was and her immune system just got too weak to combat the virus. It took a long time for her to change, longest I've seen." He glanced off blinking his eyes real fast as if to keep from tearing up.

"She finally did. We didn't expect it. And I mean what do you do? It's not as easy as you think shooting a loved one when they were just them not too long ago."

Hershel stopped and Rick could tell he didn't want to explain anymore.

"I'm sorry, I know how hard that must

They both watched the sun set and the last bit of sunlight left the porch.

Laurie peeked out the door and called them in for dinner.

Rick got up and took her hand as he walked to the table with Hershel following behind them.

Hershel's wife, Carol and Laurie cooked dinner again for the family. Hershel wasn't pleased by this like the first time but he sat at his usual end of the table staring off into the distance.

Glenn sat at the couch with Maggie and Brooklyn strumming Dale's guitar.

"Hey Vera knows how to play too guys." He said handing the guitar to her.

She strum a few chords of The Devil Went Down to Georgia before stopping to sit for dinner.

"I hear your a nurse?" Laurie said as Brooklyn sat beside her.

"Well, I was in school for it, almost done actually."

"She didn't want to be a veterinarian like her old uncle" Hershel said with a small chuckle "She was actually headed over to Africa to volunteer."

"That's amazing to do something like that." Carol said smiling from across the table.

"Yeah, I really wish I could have gone though." She said looking down at her

The room fell silent, only the clicking of forks and knives.

"Will you take a plate up to the young man, Daryl, upstairs when you're done there and re-wrap his bandages? You do them better than me." Hershel said.

Brooklyn nodded and collected her plate and went into the kitchen to wash her dish. She stood grasping the sink staring out the window. She hated remembering the past before the chaos hit.

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Hey peoples!

I've been so excited working on this fanfic!

I've been working on it for about three month's

One month to get the theme and characters

One month to figure out the text and characters

And one more month to let my friends and family read it

So I hope you like this one!

-Kae