Temerity ➳ Daryl Dixon

Chapter Six

Everyone felt bad for me for a moment longer than they should have. I grew tired of it and walked away, footsteps behind me.

I turned, with anger filled eyes. My eyes instantly softened as I looked to Dale. "Sorry 'bout storming off. I just need to clear my head." He nodded.

"It's ok Dear. We know that it's rough for you.." I let out a long breath that I hadn't realised I'd been holding.

"Imma go lay down ok?" He nodded and I left them, going to my room and falling asleep. Somebody woke up up and I saw Carol freaking out.

"The AC went off. Something's up with Mr. Jenner." I sighed, putting my boots on. "Generators must be low." "Generators?" I nodded, standing up to look at Sophia.

"Come on. Let's go say hi to everyone." She smiled and took my hand as I led her to the main room. Everyone was yelling at my dad. I looked anywhere but him.

His eyes were on me as he explained that everything was shutting down. I leaned against one of his monitors and closed my eyes, knowing full well what was going to happen.

And just as suspected, he locked them in. Shane and Daryl were angry but I didn't care. Everyone started yelling and I opened one of my eyes, looking directly into his.

"You do realise you can't choose someone's fate for them right? It's the same as controlling them. You have no right. Open the damn door or I will."

He stared at me with that look that he always did, the look a doctor gives his patient, not the look Rick gives me. I sighed as he opened the door. I made no sigh of moving.

"Honey, go on. I told you to live on." I shook my head. "And live with the regret of leaving you to kill yourself?"

T and Glenn tried to talk me out of but I didn't move. Dale did the same thing to Andrea. "I am not leaving this building alive. Glenn smiled with a sad smile. "Then none of us are."

I growled. "Glenn-" "No! Can't you see we care for you?!" My head dropped and I sighed. Andrea and Dale already left. The timer was on two minutes and 30 seconds.

Jenner looked at me. "Take care of him." I tilted my head. "That Daryl guy. It's obvious he cares for you."

Glenn grabbed my hand and we all ran out. As we got near the vehicles, Glenn pushed me down and covered me with his own body. T held his hands on my head with his own head tucked down.

After the building was demolished, Rick ran out asking if I was ok. I didn't say a word. Glenn pulled me to Daryl's vehicle and I quickly climbed in, seeing he had my backpack in the floorboard.

I didn't say a word. There was no possible way for me to tell anyone my reason for wanting to stay in that place even though it was a timebomb.

Daryl never said a word and I was thankful to him for respecting my privacy. We decided to take Merle's bike because it was easier. We rode in comfortable silence.

Soon everyone was backed up in traffic. Daryl tried going around but the radiator hose was still shot so we had to stop. I got off the bike and walked around.

After adjusting my backpack to be on only my left shoulder, I grabbed anything useful that I could find. I crouched down in between two cars to pick up a knife.

Little Sophia walked up to me and her hand ran through my hair. "Your hair is so pretty!" The corner of my mouth raised into a half smile.

"So is yours." I ran my hand through her hair. "Can you teach me to hunt? To survive? I'd really enjoy it!" I sighed. "Your mom wouldn't like that.."

She looked at her mom, who was talking to Rick, and back at me. Her voice barely above a whisper. "She doesn't have to find out. What if I get lost one day? All I will remember is that I should've stayed by her.." "One day Soph. I promise."

She blushed slightly. "You should smile more often." I tilted my head. "This isn't a full smile." Daryl walked over. "Yea but her actual smile is so pretty."

I stood up and put my hand on her head. "Smiles don't come easy to me anymore.."

I turned to Daryl and let Carol take Sophia back to the RV. He handed me a bottle of water and I refused it.

"I don't need you to take care of me. I'm fine on my own." He glared into my eyes. "You haven't drunk anything besides alcohol in the last three days, possibly more."

I shrugged. "So? Give it to Carol or one of the kids." He shook his head. "You need it." "Daryl, I'm not your little sister. I also don't need a caretaker. I've been on my own for twenty years now. I know how to handle myself."

His face grew red with anger as Soph walked up noticing the tension. She grabbed my hand and led me away from Daryl to which I was grateful.

She pulled me to a car that I hadn't yet went through. There was a stack of coloring books in the backseat but she was afraid of grabbing them because of there being a dead dude up front.

I grabbed it and put it in my backpack along with the coloring pencils that were in the floorboard. She jumped up excitedly. Suddenly Daryl ran up to me, still glaring. "Get under the cars." His voice was a sharp whisper.

I nodded and motioned for her to get down. She got under the car across from me and Daryl pulled me under the car he was in before I could be with her.

"Daryl! Help T.." He nodded and ran to help an injured T-Dog

I was mouthing. "You're gonna be ok. I promise." She nodded and I grimaced as the walkers groaned and moaned as their feet shuffled on the ground less than a foot away from me on both my sides.

As the walkers cleared up, I heard a scream, but not just any scream.. Sophia's. I rolled out from under the car and ran for her.

Rick had the same idea as me. I ran track in middle school and high school so I was faster than them. I grabbed her and held her close.

Rick brought us to a small cave, and told me to bring her back to the highway. I nodded as he led the walkers away. I pet Sophia's head. She had her arms still around my neck and her face buried into my hair.

I got up and started back towards the highway when I saw more of the dead freaks. I ended up bolting off in a different direction, Soph still in my arms.

She clung to me tighter than possible. Her dollie was also being crushed. My feet began to hurt after two hours of running. I found a decent clearing and set her down.

"Now listen to me Soph. I won't let anything happen to you. You understand?" She nodded. I smirked. "Time to teach you how to survive." She giggled.