Faded Scars (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 32

My head was on his chest with his hand resting on my back. His warmth was comfortable, as he peacefully laid beside me. His light snoring causing me to smiled and I moved closer, his grip tightening around me.

"Y'all just gonna stay here snuggling with each other and shit or get up and get to work." I turned my head to narrow my eyes at Merle, who was standing near the entrance to the cell. "Shut up." Daryl grumbled and I curled up next to him as his hand stroke my hair. Merle scoffed and left, his footsteps fading.

I slowly started to sit up and threw my legs over the edge. I walked over to my bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a tank top. Slipping off my shirt and shorts, I got dressed and glanced at Daryl, catching him staring. "Damn." He muttered and got up from the bunk. I grabbed my boots and slipped them on, tightly tying the laces and looking over to see him button up his shirt and throw his leather jacket back on. I grabbed the chain that held May's necklace and hung it around my neck, the ring cold against my skin.

As I made my way to the bottom floor I saw Leona sleeping next to Merle. She gave a low snore and he shook her, she narrowed her eyes at him and then punched him in the gut. I chuckled and she slowly got to her feet, coming towards me. "Michonne and Glenn are gonna step up traps, wanna help?" I turned and saw Rick motion for me. "I'll get back to you on that." She nodded and walked over to Michonne.

I walked over to where Rick was talking to Daryl, they stopped once I walked up. "You need me for something?" I asked and Rick nodded, then turned to Daryl and then back to me. "At the last meeting with the Governor he wanted to make a deal." I shoved my hands into my pockets as my skin began to crawl. "What type of deal?" I said and looked into Rick's soft eyes. "He leaves the group alone if we hand over Michonne." I took a step back from him. "He'll kill her." I said softly, trying not to raise my voice. "We do this we avoid a fight, avoid the death of our friends." Rick tried to reason, but I wasn't hearing it. "You really think he'll follow the deal, what if he wants Merle next, or Maggie, Glenn, Me." I said harshly. "And this time he won't hesitate to kill and torture us. I rather fight and die with people I trust." I turned and walked away, but he placed a hand on my shoulder. "We have the chance to protect our friends, Scarlett."

I looked over my shoulder at Rick and he removed his hand from my shoulder. "Michonne has a place here, and I...I can't."

"Too weak, sis." I snapped my head around, along with Daryl and Rick. "Leona. What is it?" She looked at Rick and Daryl, then at me. "You wouldn't do this for the safety of the group, sis?" Leona questioned and I walked past her. "You know I can't." She rolled her eyes and ran her hand through her hair. "It's May's promise, ain't it? That you wouldn't hurt another, she saw the real Scar, didn't she? That why you so afraid of letting others close, sis?" I looked over my shoulder at her and the others. "I made a promise to myself and I won't let you send that woman to that monster." I walked back into the prison and back to the cell block, as I turned the corner I was stopped by Merle. "Ya seem tense, Gorgeous." I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine." I muttered and walked past him, but he grabbed my arm. "I think your gettin soft." I pulled my arm away from his grip. "Ain't nobody soft, ugly." He chuckled and aimed his blade at me. "You don't know me, Merle, I'm far from soft." I said and pushed the blade away from my face. "Good." He said and looked towards the courtyard. I saw him staring at Daryl and Rick and smiled. So the bastard does care.

I sunk my blade into the man's chest and then elbowed him in the mouth. "I warned you." I said harshly. I walked away from the bleeding man and turned down the alley. "Scar?" I saw the innocent figure sign as she stood a few inches away. "May, I.." I signed and she shook her head, walking away. I grabbed her arm and turned her facing me. "Please, May. You know I have no choice, this is what I have to do." I signed and she scowled at me. "They've changed you! I thought you were better, not a monster! This isn't you, it's a killer!" She signed angrily and I stepped back at her words. "You try to be so strong, Scar, but look what its doing to you. This is not the Scarlett I know, this is not my sister. Now, you are no better than them. You are the person they wanted you to be." She signed and I shoved my hands into my pockets, staring up at her burning eyes. "You are kind and loving, but now you are afraid and angry. I love you, Scar, but I don't love this you." She started walking away, leaving me standing there.

I walked into the house and Leona was there. "Did you do it?" I nodded and walked past her. "I'm not doing anymore of Ryan's dirty work." I said and looked over my shoulder. She rolled her eyes. "Don't you understand! You don't do it, you don't live." She protested. Leona was good at heart, but sometimes her attitude was bipolar. "I can't be a killer, Leona." She looked at me softly as I walked away. When I reached my room, May was sitting on my bed. A bruise on her cheek and tears running down her face. I quickly crouched down in front of her. "What happened?" I signed. "Ryan caught me." She signed and I ran my thumb along her cheek. "I like this Scar better." She signed and gave me a small smile. "So do I." I signed back and she leaned into my palm. "Promise me something, Scar." She signed and I waited. "Keep it secret, no more killing innocent people, no more. I want this Scarlett back." She signed slowly. I slowly wrapped my arms around her neck and gave her a hug. "I promise." I signed when I pulled away.

I sat up and threw my legs off the edge of the bunk. I wish I didn't have to relive these memories every time I shut my eyes. I ran my hand through my hair and touched May's ring, which hung around my neck. "I'm trying, Mayflower." I chuckled at the old nickname I gave her. I went out of my cell and back downstairs, seeing Judith and Carol. "You okay?" Carol asked as I walked over and I nodded, running my finger hesitatingly over Judith's cheek. "It's alright, Scar, she won't bite."She gave a soft chuckle and I huffed. "How's Leona?" Carol asked. "Still the same as she has always been." I said and looked down at my hands as Rick came in, Daryl behind him in a rush. Something was wrong, I had never seen Daryl this frustrated. I quickly moved to where he was grabbing his crossbow. "What happened?" I asked, crouching down next to him as he did the same to grab his bag and crossbow. "Merle left and took Michonne. I'm going after him." He said and stood up. I stood up and grabbed his hand before he rushed past me. "You're going out there while the Governor is still out there? He'll kill you." I said and he moved closer, his head next to mine. "I'm not easy to kill." He whispered in my ear and I chuckled. "Please be safe." I whispered in his ear and he pulled back, placing a small kiss on my forehead before walking off.

A few minutes after Daryl left, Rick gathered the group. "When I met with the Governor, he offered me a deal. He would leave us alone, if I gave him Michonne. And I was going to do that...to keep us safe. But I changed my mind. But now Merle has taken Michonne to fulfill the deal and Daryl went after him, but I don't know if it's too late." Rick looked over at me and I looked down at my hands. "I was wrong not to tell you and I'm sorry. What I said last year, that first night after the farm..It can't be like that. It can't. What we're willing to do, who we are, It's not my call. It can't be. I can't sacrifice one of us for the greater good because we are the greater good. We're the reason we're still here, not me. This is life and death. How you live....how you die..it isn't up to me. I'm not your Governor. We choose to go, we chose to stay, we stick together, we vote. We can stay and fight or we can go." He looked at the faces around the room that looked at him proudly and walked away leaving us with that. "I rather die fighting with my family and standing up for ourselves." I said and stood up. "It's time to stand up and I will gladly fight amongst you all." Glenn, Maggie, and Leona stood up along with Beth and Hershel. "It's time to show them who's prison this is." Glenn said to me and I chuckled. "We're strong, and whether we die or not, at least we are together."