Cherokee Rose (Walking Dead fanfiction)

Alexandria or bust

  Raven's nerves were raw as she sat in the cab of the truck opposite Daryl. She had pressed herself up against the door to make sure he couldn't accuse her of trying to get close to him or anything. Dude seemed to be trying to hit every pot hole in the road though. Her ribs were going to ache later after jamming them into the door handle countless times.

Finally arriving, he pulled the tuck slowly to the large stable that must have housed 30 horses at one time. Raven could picture what a beautiful place this must have been back in the day. Daryl brought the truck to the stop and sat for a moment staring at the barn.

"Stay" he grumbled and slipped out of the truck just barely clicking the door shut.

That lit a fire under her ass.

Stay? Seriously? What was she? His fricken dog? Raven sat there letting her anger fester and boil. He had a lot of nerve. Rick sent her with him for a reason and that reason wasn't to just sit in the damn truck. "Screw him" she thought and slipped out of the truck clicking the door shut.

Raven quietly entered the stable, standing there letting her eyes adjust to the pitch black room. Noises were coming from the other side but she couldn't quite make out what was going on. Suddenly she could see Daryl fighting two of the dead. He looked like he was handling them fine but Raven could see a third coming up from behind, going for his shoulder.....Raven ran.

"Thwap" in went her buck knife into the dead's skull. Raven turned just as Daryl was shoving a pitchfork into the second dead's skull. Feeling a little bit proud that she had helped him, she couldn't help but smile a little and feel a little smug. He was damn lucky she had come in when she did.

"What the hell?! I thought I told you to stay in the damn truck?!" he yelled.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" she thought. Raven glared at him in the darkness wanting to cuss him a blue streak. Fighting the urge to shove her buck knife into HIS skull, she said the only thing she could think of..."You're welcome." adding "asshole" under her breath. Marching past him she went straight to the stalls. Looking in each one she could see that Daryl must have cleaned them out pretty good with his first trip. She did find a couple bottles soap, a scraper for his hooves and a few other odds and ends but that was about it. Shoving everything into her bag, she found her way back outside.

Daryl glared at her through the truck's window. He was backing it up to one of the horse trailers he had found to use for the trip. "Stupid bitch" he thought. He knew it was wrong and he knew she had helped him but it had scared him to see her near those things. It was obvious she had put one down before and he'd probably have to re-think the whole "she wouldn't last 2.5 seconds out here" but he didn't like how he had felt when he thought she could be in danger. If he panicked every time she was in danger in this new world, he'd never make it. He had to figure this out and fast. Exiting the truck, Daryl still deep in thought began hitching the trailer to the truck.

Raven slid back into the passenger seat, closing the door quietly. She could see in the side mirror Daryl wrestling with the trailer and she had a fleeting thought of offering her help...yeah not going there again she mumbled. Finally hearing a loud "Clunk" she knew he had been able to get it hitched. She sat staring out the passenger window while he climbed back in. Daryl pulled the truck around slowly and began driving away from the farm. Silence and tension filled the cab of the truck and Raven had actually jumped when she heard the click of his lighter as he lit his cigarette. The silence in the truck was driving her mad and she was fighting the urge to scream when Daryl finally broke the sullenness.

"Did you find anything good?"

Raven's first thought was to ignore him, but not wanting to go back to listening him breath and tap his fingers on the steering wheel, she answered.