I Am Not A Robot - Brett Max
Once the sun had almost fully set, all that was left was an orange and red hue above their heads, along with a slight tint of red. Everyone seemed to wind down once again. Carl was now going through the healing process, Hershel had sorted out the accommodation, everyone was cleaned and fed, and everyone was at the farm...
Well, all apart from Otis.
Cecilia did her usual job of speedily checking the fences for any breakages which could potentially be an entrance for unwanted walkers, however she decided to do it more carefully that night, as it would be horrible to find that their new guests had been feasted on during the night.
She was on the outskirts of where the new group resided in their tents, which had a fence running beside them. She couldn't see any faults in the fencing, heading on further down. Although she was very far away from where the new group were staying, she swore she could hear two people talking.
"Well, maybe if you kept yer nose outta ma business and kept it in yer daughter's instead, she'd still be with us now!"
Cecilia recognised that rough, intimidating voice anywhere.
Daryl Dixon.
Cecilia came to the conclusion that he was talking to Carol, referring to her daughter that was currently stranded in the woods somewhere for the past couple of days, or so she had been told by Rick.
Maybe Carol could've done something to prevent what happened from happening, but she would've ended up getting the whole group killed if she started chasing after Sophia by attracting more attention from the herd of walkers.
Cecilia saw Carol walking away from Daryl's little hide out, wiping the tears from her cheeks and heading to camp. Cecilia made a beeline for Daryl, sighing and glaring at her when he saw her plodding up to her.
"Did you really have to do that?" Cecilia questioned, coming to a halt.
What're you talking about?" He carried on sorting through his arrows, also picking up a collection of dead squirrels.
"I heard you shouting at Carol about her daughter. It was brave of you to keep looking for Sophia when there was little hope left from everyone else, but don't use it against Carol when she tries to talk to you." Cecilia shook her head at his actions, Daryl scoffing.
"I don't need nobody. I'm better on my own. So leave me alone." He demanded, hoping that would drive her away instantly.
"No, you just don't appreciate the people around you. You cut everyone off when they want to protect you." Cecilia hopped off her horse, stroking his mane and patting his strong shoulder.
"How do you know that, huh? You know me even less than the others do." Daryl threw down everything he had in his hands, glaring at her and waiting for an explanation.
She had pushed his buttons once again, so effortlessly. She mentally giggled at how quick he was to get all riled up. It was childish really, but so were his little anger management issues.
"You wouldn't have made it this far alone." The faintest grin plastered on her face as she strolled away from him, the horse following her closely.
Later on the same night, the group of new comers, and Cecilia and Maggie, all sat around a campfire, laughing and joking around at old drunk stories.
"What about you, Daryl?" Cecilia noticed that he was having no interaction, Cecilia determined to change that. He just shook his head, glaring at her once again.
"If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under, wouldn't I?" She grinned at him, a few others smirking too, also noticing how much Daryl was mentally murdering Cecilia. He bit the inside of his bottom lip, clenching his fists. Cecilia rolled her eyes at his stubbornness, listening to Rick's story of ending up sleeping in the toilet roll section of Walmart after a wild night out.
Daryl stood up from his seat, walked around to Cecilia and tapped her shoulder, strolling over to the RV, expecting her to follow.
Daryl entered the RV without bothering to hold the door open for her, Cecilia letting herself in. She noticed she was stood on her own shoe-lace, fumbling about as she tucked the strings into her boot. She finished messing around with her shoes and stepped in. The door closed behind her, spinning on her heel to face him and folding her arms, also cocking her brow. He was stood only inches away, a stone cold expression on his dirty face.
"Look, I'm sick of you gettin' all brave at me. Yer makin' me look like an idiot." Daryl snarled, Cecilia smirking slightly.
"What, you want me to bow down to you or something?" She joked, Daryl becoming more and more frustrated with her.
"No, jus' stop havin' that stupid li'l attitude wi' me." He demanded, flailing his hand about before resting it at his side again.
"Stop trying to make me look all delicate and weak. I'm no less stronger than you are." She rolled her eyes, standing her ground.
"Please. You'll be prone to yer parents pamperin' you. Have you ever even touched a motorcycle? Nah, too busy braidin' yer sister's hair, lettin' your brothers protect you while you wander about carelessly like the dumb blonde you are. Can't even tie yer own shoe-laces." It felt like he got closer to her with every word he growled, Cecilia still not phased by him.
"I'm not a dumb blonde." She denied the statement, even though that wasn't what she was most angered about in his little outburst.
"Y'think a baseball bat is gonna save you, princess? Bet you lost most of your group because you don't even have a proper weapon to save 'em." Daryl snapped back at her, Cecilia cowering away from his harsh glare, a single tear dropping from her green orb. She swore she saw his face soften, for just a millisecond, but her vision was too blurred to be sure.
"You're such an asshole..." Her lips quivered as she said the words in barely a whisper, opening the door to the RV and wiping away the tears quickly, sitting herself back down in her spot.
She didn't even have to say a word, and she had Lori holding her hand and leaning her head towards the side of Cecilia's.
"Don't think about it, he's a dick." Lori comforted her by whispering the words into her ear, Cecilia smiling and giggling ever so slightly.
"I know, thank you." Cecilia agreed, Lori squeezing her hand gently. Then she continued to enjoy her time around with the rest of the group.
Daryl eventually joined again, sitting back opposite Cecilia
He watched her over the flames of the fire which lit up her face. She was laughing and messing around with Carl, teaching him some confusing riddle that he couldn't fathom, Cecilia finding it more amusing by the second.
He regretted what he had said, but the darker side of him encouraged to not care.
A Dixon was never supposed to care.
