I Need You (Daryl Dixon Fanfiction)

Chapter 36

Daryl-

"Open the gate!" I heard in the distance," open the God damn gate!" I heard louder. I got up out of bed and opened the window looking out. The gate opened and in rode a horse with two people on it." Where's the infirmary?" The rider yelled as he pulled the other person off the horse. They quickly ran to the infirmary. I pulled on my jeans, a hoodie, and my boots, and quickly ran down to the infirmary.

"What's going on?" I ran in, and everyone made a gap as I arrived, revealing a beaten Ruth." What the hell happened?" I quickly approached her bedside.

"Saviors." Jesus spoke up." She was attacked by Saviors." He looked at me.

"They were gone, they came back, why?" I said angrily.

"Revenge, I don't know, why don't you ask them next time you see them." Jesus argued back. Dominic then ran in.

"Ruth, what happened?" He pushed me aside, looking her over.

"The Saviors, they attacked her, they're back, and it looks like they're out for blood." Jesus spoke with anger in his voice.

"Double the guards, I want every gun loaded, and every post to have extra ammo, everyone on that wall needs to be wearing the riot gear, no exceptions." Dominic ordered one of the guards, he nodded and took off to tell the other guards." Ruth, I'm so sorry." He stroked her hair back.

"Now you're gonna play dad?" I burst out.

"Excuse me?" He turned to look at me.

"She risked her life looking for you, you never came and found her, you moved on, she has fought to stay alive for you! She slips up, and you disown her, and now you're gonna play daddy!" Anger was seeping out of pores at this point my face hot.

"You aren't her father you wouldn't understand, of course I looked for her, but in this world hope isn't gonna keep someone alive. That's why I established this place, just in case Ruth was still out there. I wanted this place to be a constant in this world, a constant for her. What are you, a boyfriend, you're just a temporary fix, you won't last in her life. One more argument or disagreement and your gone." He said smugly.

"Don't you dare tell me I'm temporary!" I stepped toward him," you left her, you opted out of a big chunk of her life, ya think you can just come back into her life and start telling her what to do again?" I jabbed my finger into his chest," she's grown, she survived out there all alone, without you, she don't need you anymore." I said quietly. Dominic flared his nostrils as he held back his anger," and she will never need you again." He swung at me, his fist making full contact with my jaw. I took the hit, and stumbled back a few steps, then straightened out holding my ground. Dominic breathed heavily as he glared at me, and took off out of the room.

Everyone was frozen kind of lost in our argument, then they quickly went back to work. I stood back and watched them clean Ruth up, stitch up gashes, bandage scrapes, put cold wash clothes on bruises. As things started to settle down, and the room started to empty out, I was finally able to sit by her side. I gently held her hand, her knuckles were bruised and busted open, her hand seemed so fragile. I kissed each knuckle tenderly, I knew it wouldn't do anything, but I just felt like doing it. I guess that's how I changed, I was more open with my emotion, not so closed off. I just hoped my openness was enough to get Ruth back.

"Daryl," Tucker stood in the doorway," how is she doing?" He came and sat next to me.

"She's fine."

"You shouldn't 've said that, honestly you shouldn't have said anything." Tucker kept his gaze down at his hands.

"Why, it was something that needed to be said didn't it?" I grumbled at him.

"It did, but not from you." He glanced at me then back at his hands that he twiddled nervously.

"So did I make things worse?" I looked at him waiting for a reaction.

"I don't know, I hope not, I don't wanna lose my sister again." He confessed.

"Why would that happen?" I asked curiously.

"Years back, before this all started, my dad was a very Godly man, and one day my sister didn't want to go to church, so he, kicked her out. My dad has always had a short temper, and he always acts on a whim, so I'm scared he's going to make Ruth leave again." He picked at his jeans, blinking back tears.

"If he does, why don't you go with her?" I asked simply.

"I don't think I could do that to my dad, he saved my life." I said nervously.

"So did Ruth, she was the one that was out there with ya all those years, remember, not your dad." I argued.

"Yeah, but he's my dad, he's lost so much already-" he started.

"Listen, to me, your sister was devastated that you had been taken, that she had let her guard down too much, and you were taken. She tore herself apart over losing your mom, Jess, and you. She told me everything, she would do anything for you. You said you didn't want to lose her again, but she doesn't want to lose you either, don't do that her, I don't think she could handle it." I couldn't believe how much I had said today, and it was all honest, meaningful things, it made me kind of tired.

"It's something, I would have to think about Daryl." He glanced at me again," you remind me of my older brother, did Ruth ever tell you about him?" I shook my head," not very surprised, when this all started, he was no where to be found, him and his family were gone, without a trace. I miss him everyday." He sniffed his nose," he was the oldest of all of us, then Ruth, then Jess, then me, I was the youngest. My brother and I were close, we did everything together, we always played video games, teased our sister's. He was the best brother anyone could ask for, then he was just gone, it was like he never existed, no one even mentioned him, or said his name anymore." Tucker rubbed his arm," Ben." He spoke softly.

"That his name?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, he was twenty-seven, five foot ten, brown hair, green eyes, had a wife and two kids." We both looked over at Ruth, who was looking at Tucker with tears in her eyes," I miss him too Tucker." She cried, sitting up, and embraced Tucker tightly. I sat back and let them have their moment, let them get out whatever they had been holding in all these years.

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Hey guys,
Eh not really sure how I feel about this chapter, I guess it's just a filler, but more of Ruth's past is revealed, how you feel about that?