Always (A Daryl Dixon/ The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Chapter 22 - Seed

Eight Months Later

I bite my lip anxiously as I watch Daryl, Rick, T-Dog and Carl make their way into the house. I'm exhausted and weak, starving and thirsty. I can barely keep my eyes open as I turn my attention back to the surrounding woods, keeping an eye out for walkers. Maggie and Glenn go around the back to make sure it is clear while the rest of us wait out front. After around ten minutes I hear the signal and I turn to everyone, "Okay, let's go."

I bend down and pick up the backpack and slide it over my back and grab another one before I make my way to the house. I walk up the stairs and into the dilapidated building, past Rick who gives me a nod. I return it as I walk in and dump the stuff on the floor of the living room. I twist at my right wrist, it having an ache. After what happened at the farm, it never healed properly and has a click when it moves which is painful.

Everyone follows in after me and I hear the doors to the house shut.I take a seat on the ground and by the couch and Daryl walks in a few minutes later, taking a seat on the couch arm above me. He has an owl in his hands and proceeds to pluck the feathers off of it. I eye it hungrily and my mouth waters. I turn away and see Lori holding a jar of food and I eye it enviously. She is around nine months pregnant now, due to have the baby sometime soon. We've been trying to find a place where she can safely have the baby, but there has been no such luck.

I see movement in the doorway and Carl walks into the room with two cans in his hands. He sits down and pulls the backpack over, grabbing out the can opener. He proceeds to open the can and Rick turns, walking over to him. He bends down and picks up the can and I see the label, realising its dog food. Rick eyes it for a moment before tossing it angrily into the empty fire place. We all look around glumly, morale barely existent nowadays.

"Psst." T-Dog whispers from his watch point by the window.

I sigh internally as I get to my feet and pull on the backpack and the other bag, everyone grabbing onto their own things. We make our way out of the house and to the cars once more, rushing over to them. I climb into the driver's seat of the pickup truck and start it up after I've tossed the bags in the middle, T-Dog climbing in beside me in the passengers seat. I pull out and drive after Daryl, the others forming into line behind me as we drive away once more. Something that all of us have gotten far to used too.

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The sound of a horn being blown alerts us and we slow down, pulling to a stop. T-Dog and I get out of the car and I take watch at the back of the cars with Beth, keeping an eye out for walkers. I glance over at the others and see them discussing on where we could go now. They quickly break up and some people go to find water and I decide to stay on look out.

I notice Rick and Daryl head out to go hunting and I hope that they'll be okay. Things with Daryl are... complicated to say the least. There are feelings there between us, but we haven't really addressed them since that day. We've been too busy running for our lives. There have been moments, where it seems like we could begin to become something more but then something happens like this always does. Maybe if we find a place, we'll be able to figure things out but until then...

I shake my head as Carol steps in front of me, holding out a water bottle, "Thought you might be thirsty."

I smile and take it off of her and grab at it with my right hand. It aches and I grimace as I switch it to my left hand and have a drink, "Wrist still bothering you?" She asks, folding her arms over her chest.

I swallow and nod, "Yeah, but there's nothing we can really do about it."

"Maybe once we find a place Hershel might be able to figure out something to do?" She suggests and I shrug my shoulders, "Maybe, but for now I just gotta deal with it."