Bleeding Love | Daryl Dixon

Chapter Seventeen.

"So what do we do now?" Shane asked Rick. We were all standing around camp trying to figure out our next move. Our dead were all buried, and the walkers were all burned, but now we were looking for direction. I was standing with Carol and Sophia, my arm around Sophia's shoulders. Even though she hated her father I know she was still upset over his gruesome death, so I was comforting her the best I could. The three of us were standing not too far from Merle and Daryl who were sitting in the bed of Daryl's truck. 

Shane and Rick were arguing about going to the CDC, or heading north to Fort Benning. I really couldn't care as long as I was with Daryl and Merle, who I was wondering if they even wanted to stay with this group. But looking down at the frightened little blonde girl I really hated to leave her. I found myself really attached to Sophia, and I found it my duty to protect her where her parents could not. Carol was a sweet woman but I really doubted her ability to protect not only her daughter but even herself. 

"Are you gonna leave me?" Sophia asked looking up at me with her big blue eyes. I looked down at her and frowned seeing her looking at me with worry. I shook my head "No sweetie, I'm staying wherever you are" I told her gently, rubbing my hand through her locks of dirty blonde hair. She smiled gently before leaning closer into my side. I looked over to see Daryl staring between me and Sophia, he nodded to me with understanding. Daryl could read me like a book and knew I wouldn't want to leave Sophia, so even if Daryl and Merle wanted to leave the group, I would try and get Carol to come with us.

I kissed Sophia on the cheek before walking over to Merle and Daryl to get their opinion. "What do ya'll think?" I asked the pair of them. The rest of the group was arguing between the CDC or Fort Benning, I personally thought both were terrible ideas seeing as the army was pretty taken over by walkers in the city, and the CDC I'm sure suffered the same fate. 

"This groups too scattered for my liking" Merle grumbled, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. He was right. Rick was trying to save Jim by going to the CDC, even though we all knew he was dead already. Lori was yelling at Shane and how he was wrong about trying to get her family to try and go to Fort Benning. And I rolled my eyes at her seeing as she had no problem following Shane around in the woods when she thought her husband was dead. And Dale and Glenn were throwing in their two sense every now and then. I frowned looking over at Andrea who was sitting against the RV with her head in her hands, and I wish I could make her pain go away.

"What do you think, Vannah?" Daryl asked as he jumped down from the bed of the truck to stand beside me. I shrugged. "There's safety in numbers" I said. "Besides, where the hell else are we gonna go?" I asked the two of them with raised eyebrows. Daryl and Merle looked to each other before Merle rolled his eyes and tossed his cigarette in the ground. "Fine. But these people fuck up, were packing our shit and were gone" Merle said before stomping over to the group who was still yelling at each other, and I laughed when bunch of very obscene words were rolling out of Merle's mouth, making then all shut up.

Two hours later and we were all packing up our things getting ready to head to the CDC. I started bringing Glenn and I's tent to my car, when I realized we were going to have way too many vehicles. Daryl had his truck, with Mere's bike on the bed. The RV would probably hold a bunch of the group, Shane had his jeep and T-Dog had his church van. Plus Carol had her Cherokee, which had a lot more space than my tiny car. I loved this little junker, but I would probably end up leaving it behind. 

I tossed my gear into the back of Daryl's truck before going over to Rick to let him know the vehicle situation. "Hey Rick!" I called over to him. He was standing with Lori, who glared at me and stomped over to Carl who was playing cards with Sophia. "What's up Savannah?" he asked hesitantly, knowing me and his wife definitely haven't got along lately. 

"Have you noticed the vehicle dilemma? We have almost as many cars as we do people." I said motioning around to our lines of cars that were ready to leave. 

Rick sighed and nodded looking around realizing I was right. "We can siphon the gas from my car and leave it, thing sucks on gas anyway" I told him, pulling my keys out of the back pocket of my jeans.

"Thanks Savannah" Rick said placing a hand on my shoulder and walking over to talk to T-Dog who was hanging out of the passenger side of the van. We would probably end up leaving that too, I know it sucked more gas than it was worth. And seeing that T-Dog started nodding to Rick, made it confirm my suspicions. And T-Dog and I spent the next ten minutes siphoning all the gas out of our cars and putting the remaining gas into the RV.

"This is just like old times" I said with a soft laugh as I looked between Daryl who was driving and Merle who was in the passenger seat, me between them. I had to plop my legs up on the dash since they were way too long to be crammed in the center console of the truck. I loved these two dearly, but I was beginning to regret not taking that empty seat in Shane's jeep.

"Yeah, only your not so small anymore princess" Merle said laughing as he motioned to my long legs that were kicking the kicking the windshield. "Shut it" I said rolling my eyes and resting my shoulder on Daryl's  shoulder as he was driving with his left hand. I sighed taking in Daryl's musky scent and closed my eyes, letting the soft breeze from the open window and the presence of my two favorite men lull me to sleep. 

"Vannah, come on were here" Daryl's gruff voice said pulling me out of my sleep. And my eyes opened quickly to see we were all parked on the side road next to the CDC. "Shit that smell is fowl" I said as we all jumped out of the truck and started walking towards the building with the rest of the group. There were dead soldiers laying around barricades, and the smell was terrible. So terrible I found myself gagging at the sight. 

"Rick, this is a dead end!" Shane yelled as we all saw that the blinds were down and we were all stuck. Sophia suddenly whimpered and tossed herself around my waist, and I wrapped and arm tightly around her while keeping my gun in my free hand. A hand made it's way to the small of my back and I turned to see Daryl had wrapped his arm around my waist and was looking at our surroundings with concern.

"Walkers!" Someone yelled and soon everyone started panicking except me and the two Dixon's beside me. Daryl took one out with his crossbow that got too close, and I tuned out the arguing of the rest of the group, as I really couldn't stand listening to Lori's whining. "We need answers tonight!" was one thing coming from her I unfortunately heard.

"No shit Sherlock!" i found myself yelling over at her. She glared and pulled Carl into her side more. None of this fighting was doing any good, they were all lost and scared. And as much as I really just wanted to leave with Daryl and Merle, who were currently discussing a plan for the three of us to leave, I knew this group would eventually die off without our help. 

Daryl was yanking on my arm to get me to follow him and Merle, Sophia was still hanging on to my side. And just when I was about to run with Dary,l with Sophia or not, a bright white light blinded us as the shutters to the CDC opened, allowing us inside.