Trust Me | Daryl Dixon

Part 24

Carol and I walked into a dark, empty room, only filled with a mattress that Rick was laying on; his back facing towards us.

I stood back, leaning against a wall as she sat beside him, lightly shaking his arm, "Wake up."

His body flinched as he awoke, propping himself up against the wall behind him as his tired eyes scanned the room.

"It's good what happened; we have more cover now." Carol spoke, "All of them think they have you found out-- that it's over, but it's not." She said as she looked over at me, "It was smart of you to have Liz work inventory; she covered for the guns."

Rick looked up at me as Carol mentioned my name before returning his focus back to her, "Why didn't you want to tell them we had more guns?"

"Michonne stopped you-- she knocked you out-"

"I deserved it." He cut her off.

"Well, it was stupid." Carol retorted.

"She's with us.. Glenn is, Liz is." Rick said as he nodded his head in my direction.

"I didn't tell them about the guns just in case." Carol admitted.

Rick sighed, taking a minute to process his thoughts, "I don't want to lie anymore."

"You said you don't want to take this place.. and you don't want to lie?" Carol asked, cocking her head at Rick's battered and bruised self, "Oh sunshine, you don't get both."

Rick nodded, taking in Carols words before she stood up, heading for the door, "I'm going to go make nice with some of the towns people in your defense, just in case."

I let out a deep breath as the door closed, leaving me alone with someone I just now realized was a near stranger-- a stranger who I watch pull a gun on people I thought were innocent.

"Carl said you got in a fight with Pete because he was hitting Jessie.." I finally spoke up, "Is that true?"

He looked up at me, nodding, "He's not a good person- he's not one of us."

"So if we're the good people.. why'd you pull a gun on Deanna, and Reg, and-"

"These people don't know how to survive, Liz, I-" Rick breathed out, running his hands through his hair, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me," I shook my head, "I told you from the beginning, I'll trust you no matter what, I just need to know what I'm standing behind."

"Me, Carol, Michonne, Glenn, Daryl," Rick began naming, "You're standing behind all of us-- you're standing with your family."

I nodded, biting at the inside of my cheek before looking back up at him, "Then what do you need to me to do?"

Rick sighed, "I don't want you to do anything, but I want you to be ready if you have to."

"So, the town meeting tonight," I murmured, "What's going to happen?"

Rick kept silent as he searched for words, "We might take this place-- only if we have to, though."

I let out a shaky breath, "Ok, I uh- what should I-"

"Just have your knife on you, that's all." He said calmly, trying to reassure me, "If anything happens, I trust you'll know how to handle it."

I lightly shook my head, my voice now weak with unexpected emotion, "I don't want to kill anyone, Rick, I can't-"

"Hey," He quickly stood up, coming over to me and pulling me into a tight hug, "No ones going to make you, it's for your own safety."

I nodded into his chest before pulling away, "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," he cut me off, putting his wrapped hand on my shoulder, "You never asked for any of this, I know that."

I nodded again, wanting to change the subject, "Rosita took me shooting today and I think I might be able to do runs again soon, hopefully."

"That's good, I'm glad," Rick smiled, "Daryl said you both talked things through the other night; are you two good now?"

I shrugged, "I think.. I just- he's really hard to read."

"Yeah, that's Daryl," Rick chuckled, "You'll get used to it though-- we all did."

"If we don't end up killing each other first." I laughed, wiping away an escaped tear.

Rick shook his head, "No, you two are going to be a good team, I just know it."

_____
If you haven't been able to tell yet, Rick has kind of taken to Liz like a father.