The 100 Walking Dead

Part 30

Daryl

The cabin was quiet, everyone asleep. Maggie slept with the baby, Judith in between Rick and Michonne on the floor at the bottom of the bed, Enid asleep in Carl's arms against the backwall, their heads in the far left corner of the bedroom. They all seemed so peaceful, even Carol, who was fast asleep in a rocking chair on the left side of Maggie. I smiled to myself, I never had a family, but I've finally got one.

I turned around and walked into the living room, Alicia was asleep with her head resting on Clarke's shoulder as they sat with their backs against the wall with the TV. Raven laid on a rug in between the fire and sofa, Tomas asleep in the corner next to the bookshelves. Imara and Bellamy slept together on the sofa, Octavia and Nick were sat whispering to each other in the kitchen area and Murphy was asleep in the bath tub. Riley nowhere to be seen.

I stepped into the cold air, the wind touching my bare arms. My knife rested in my belt, the crossbow with Maggie, I didn't need it. I looked into the darkness and saw a wire going around the perimeter of the cabin. Smoke in the air, coming from the right of me. I turned my head and there she was, sat on the floor, staring into the darkness, her legs straight in front of her. I sat next to her, my back against the cabin, my knees to my chest, my hands draping over them.

"You put that up?" I asked her, looking at her face, at the scar on her cheek and the dried tears on her face.
She nodded, and croakily said, "Yeah, I did. If we're staying here awhile, we need to be safe."
I looked at her smoke, she hadn't taken a drag, the ash building up, "You gon smoke that?"
She shrugged, staring into the blackness, "I never have. My parents did, even Imara, but not me."
I nodded, and then said, "Well, you shouldn't, it's a terrible habit."
She shrugged, "I think I'll be dead before the cigarettes could kill me."
I looked at the floor, and mumbled, "Don't talk like that."
She looked at me, "Why? Everyone fucking dies! Or is that it? The good people get to escape and the bad guys are left to watch everyone they care about die? And y'know what, I am gonna die. If not by being torn apart by zombies, then by other people."
"No you ain't!" I snapped at her, "Don't think like that. You're just a kid-"
"Exactly!" She half-yelled, before returning to a bitter mutter, "I ain't strong enough to last this world. I'm not like you or the others. It's a miracle I've survived this long. People have died for me. I never wanted that. And it should've been me not her."
I looked at her, "Well it wasn't you. You're still here and you're not going anywhere. So don't talk like that."
She shook her head and muttered, "You don't get it."

I stood up and shook my head, walking away, I stopped, turning around and yelling, "No!" I paused, "You don't get it. You wanna talk about loss? We've all lost people. And people die, that's the way it is now. You gotta pick yourself up and keep goin. You don't get to give up."
"Why?" She yelled, tears in her eyes, she got to her feet and walking towards me, chucking the cigarette on the floor and stomping on it, she stopped, her face inches from mine, "Why, Daryl? Why don't I get to give up? There's nothing left for me. My parents are dead. My little sister, Lucy, is dead. My people are dead. Melody is fucking dead!"
"You think I don't know?" I shouted, walking her backwards, until she touched the wire, our face centimetres apart, as I continued to yell, "You think I don't know about loss? I never had a mom, my father beat me. My brother is dead. Dale is dead. Andrea is dead. Denise and Beth and Glenn, people who were like, no, people who were my family, are dead. And that's my fault. But do I sit here and cry about it? No. Because you can't do that. You can't give up. Especially you. You've got your whole life ahead of yer. You ain't giving up. You're gonna fight."
She looked to the side and sighed, "Why do you care so much?" She looked me in the eyes and put her finger on my chest, "You don't even know me. I was just some weak little girl you found in a warehouse. So why do you care?"
I shook my head, biting my bottom lip in anger, "You don't get it. You ain't weak at all. And whatever happened to your people, it weren't your fault-"
"Yes it was." She firmly argued, "I was their leader. I wasn't just some girl that rolled with them, I was their leader. I had options, I could've stayed with, with Charles and been his little lab-rat, his experiment and the remainder of my people would be safe. But I told them we had to go. And as a result, Delilah died. Newt died. Nicolas died. Isabella died. My sister died. All because of me."

She looked at the floor, tears pouring down her cheeks. I ducked my head down and looked at her, "That wasn't your fault," I softly said, "it wasn't. You tried. And I'm sorry that you had to go through that."
She shook her head and looked up at me, "I should've stayed. They'd all be here if I just gave in to him. But I'm weak."
I shook my head, "You ain't weak. You're a fighter. And he probably would've still hurt your people, maybe even Melody. You made the right call. You ain't weak."
She pushed me away, and kept pushing me as she cried, "You're so wrong. I am weak. I am so fucking weak!"
I grabbed her fists, stopping her from hitting me, not that she was hitting me hard, "No, you ain't."
She nodded and escaped my grip, "Yes I fucking am." She rolled up her sleeve and pushed her bracelets up her arm, revealing a scar, a faded bite mark.
My brow creased, "What is that?"

She stared me in the eyes, "I got bit and I didn't die. That's why Charles wanted me. Cut me open. Use me to find some cure that doesn't fucking exist..." she pushed her bracelets back down and looked at the floor, tears fell from her eyes, "I told you I should be dead. The only reason I'm alive is because of her, because she fought for me to live, and now she isn't even here. Melody isn't even here..." she looked up at me, her blue eyes watery, "I told you I should be dead. The only person to ever survive getting bitten and I have nothing to live for. I'm not worthy. I should be dead."
I shook my head, "No, you shouldn't."

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Author's Notes: I hope you guys are liking this story and I hope you like Riley's character. I guess with the bite she's based off of Ellie from The Last Of Us. And I created Riley to mimic Beth, so I hope you like the relationship development. And I hope you're liking Daryl's chapters. I don't really know how to write like him, but I'm trying with the dialogue.

Also next chapter is more Octavia and Nick, Octavia is going to reveal a BIG secret...